Failure to Provide Routine Dental Services and Oral Assessment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide routine dental services as required, affecting one resident who reported ongoing dental pain and functional impairment. During an interview, the resident stated she could only chew on the left side of her mouth because the upper and lower teeth on the right side had holes and became painful when food became stuck. Observation, interview, and record review confirmed that this resident had not received dental services during her stay, despite her reported symptoms. The DON stated that residents are to be screened upon admission, quarterly, and as needed for dental concerns, but acknowledged that this resident had not been seen by dental services at any time during her residency. The resident, who is diagnosed in part with quadriplegia, unspecified severe protein calorie malnutrition, neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder, asthma, myasis, myopathy, and essential hypertension, was therefore not assessed and referred for dental care in accordance with the facility’s own dental services policy. That policy requires licensed nurses to conduct comprehensive oral assessments, including asking about chewing difficulties and pain, physically inspecting the oral cavity, and immediately addressing negative findings by notifying the physician and dental provider, which did not occur for this resident.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.