Dental guide for care homes aims to boost oral health of Scottish dementia residents

A new resource for care homes has been created which will emphasise the importance of providing effective mouth care for older people in care homes.

Caring for Smiles- A Guide for Care Homes has been created by Scotland’s National Oral Health Improvement Group (NOPOHIG) which has worked in conjunction with NHS Scotland to provide a training and support programme for care homes with older residents.

Maura Edwards, consultant in Dental Public Health and chair of NOPOHIG said: “Older people living in care homes are at a significantly higher risk of oral health problems and related conditions than the rest of the population because of higher levels of dependency and dementia-related conditions.”

Regular risk assessments and providing person centred oral care has been championed by the guide, which aims to highlight the risk and impact of poor oral health which is linked to systematic disease.

The guide has a section which is dedicated to dementia care and also addresses how to react to instances of resistance to care by residents.

The resource will support training delivered by NHS teams and includes support and help with palliative care and end of life oral care.

Care home managers have been advised to be aware of the importance that day-to-day oral care can bring to prevent painful oral diseases which can impact on a resident’s quality of life.

Key speakers will be attending the official launch of the guide in September and will focus on the importance of good oral care for residents, as well as exploring the ethical challenges of providing this type of preventative care.