Oral Care Experiences of Home‐Dwelling Frail Older Adults in Flanders, Belgium—A Qualitative Study

Introduction Frailty has a profound negative impact on the abilities to perform daily oral hygiene and to regularly attend a dental professional. To inform effective oral care and oral health services for older adults, this research aimed to explore frail, home‐dwelling older adults' experiences, needs, and barriers to daily oral hygiene and professional care. Methods Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with twenty‐seven home‐dwelling frail older adults in Belgium. Interviews were analysed using a reflexive thematic approach. Results Three themes were identified: ‘importance of oral healthcare’; ‘performing daily oral hygiene’; and ‘seeking professional care’. All participants confirmed the importance of maintaining good oral health. Nevertheless, daily oral hygiene was often not performed as the latest guidelines recommend. Functional independence was considered an important issue, and participants expressed reluctance to ask home care nurses for help. Opinions on the usefulness of preventive dental visits were mixed. Conclusion The findings highlight a gap between older adults' oral health knowledge or practices and the awareness of its importance. Consequently, efforts are needed to enhance older adults' self‐efficacy in oral care. Non‐oral healthcare providers could play a key role in encouraging and referring older adults to oral health professionals.