[The aim of this paper is to provide information on the history and cultural context of the work of Saint John of God, who became the patron saint of nurses and health workers. Sixteenth-century Spain served as a cradle for the innovations of Saint John and his followers, who established hospitals and provided care for the sick and the poor at a time when the Church was immersed in theological debates and thus seemed to forget one of its main missions: humanitarian and charitable aid to those most in need. The development of the Hospitaller Order’s nursing and health care practices, far ahead of its time, including the implementation of rules and regulations for hospitals and the extraordinary training of health professionals, is analysed. The continued work of the Religious of St. John of God, who operate health care and social service institutions in more than 50 countries today, is highlighted. Overall, we wish to provide a historical and cultural overview of the role of nursing and health care in society in the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age. For this purpose, an analysis of the corresponding medieval and contemporary historical literature has been carried out beforehand.]

[Drug use is still on the rise today, with designer drugs being particularly dangerous. In addition to the general effects on the body, we must also mention the negative effects on the oral cavity. Many people do not realise that oral health can also be at risk, although oral lesions can develop as a result of poor oral hygiene, infections or neurological symptoms caused by the way in which the drug is used, or even by the way in which it is taken. In addition to dental caries, it is important to mention oral infections, tooth wear, or even Kaposi’s sarcoma due to possible HIV infection. Recognition of these oral lesions and of illegal drug use is not only a task for dental professionals, but also for the whole health care system.]

[In Hungary, people’s oral hygiene is very poor and signs of this can be seen from a very young age. The development of good oral hygiene habits should start after birth and be maintained throughout life in order to prevent the development of oral diseases. However, the consequences of poor oral hygiene are not only visible in the oral cavity, but can also have a detrimental effect on the whole organ system, leading to the development of serious diseases. To prevent these, health professionals at all levels of health care need to take preventive action.]

[The purpose of the study is to investigate the quality of life of young adults in relation to oral health and how smoking affects this. The aim is to explore the differences in oral health-related quality of life between smokers, non-smokers, and quitters in a given age group.

The survey was conducted using a self-designed online questionnaire that included the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. The survey was conducted from May 01 to June 30, 2023, using a nonrandom sampling method that relied on easily accessible subjects. Data were processed and analysed using IBM SPSS 20.0 statistical software, descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis (p<0.05). 

Based on the 317 assessable responses, smokers had a higher average OHIP-14 total score than non-smokers and quitters, but there were no significant differences in oral health-related quality of life between the groups (p=0.540). Four self-reported questions were added to the OHIP-14 questionnaire: dissatisfied with the colour of their teeth; afraid of communicating with others without seeing their teeth being seen; afraid of having a serious oral problem; afraid of losing their teeth. These issues are highly correlated with the OHIP-14 questionnaire and fear of oral lesions appears to be present among smokers.

Young adults do not yet show a significant deterioration in oral quality of life due to smoking, but additional questions are worth considering to assess the quality of life in smokers.]

[The treatment of chronic wounds is an important and challenging task in home care. These wounds do not heal for a long time or recur, and are usually painful and easily infected. Proper home care is a determining factor in the healing process of these wounds. The use of smart dressings is absolute necessity  in the treatment of chronic wounds. The use of mobile phone applications can also make home care activities more effective. These experiences will be presented by describing 4 cases.]