NICE urges care homes to prioritise oral health of residents

A draft quality standard has been published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to improve oral health in care homes and hospitals.

The draft standard calls on care homes to assess the oral health needs of their residents and record these in personal care plans. Residents should then be supported to clean their teeth twice a day or their dentures daily.

Professor Elizabeth Kay, foundation dean of Peninsula Dental School at Plymouth University, and professor and consultant in dental public health, said: “Looking after someone’s mouth should be as much a part of the care expected as ensuring their personal hygiene and providing adequate clean clothing.

“Helping care home residents with this basic daily routine maintains not only their oral health but, just as importantly, enhances their dignity and self-esteem.”

The recommended assessment should include establishing how the resident usually manages their daily mouth care, for example toothbrushing and type of toothbrush.

Care home staff are also urged to check whether residents need support, if they have dentures – including partial ones – the name and address of their dentist or any dental service they have had contact with, how long ago they saw a dentist and help to find one if needed.

According to Age UK, over 420,000 people live in care homes with around 405,000 aged over 65. More than half of older adults who live in care homes are reported to have tooth decay, compared to 40 per cent of over 75’s who do not live in care homes.

Poor oral health can affect a person’s ability to eat, speak and socialise normally.

A recent report from Public Health England (PHE) found just 61 per cent of care homes in the West Midlands carry out oral health assessments on admission and 77 per cent of care homes in the North West include oral health in the overall care plan.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive of NICE, said: “We know that supporting good daily oral health care in care homes varies enormously across the country.

“This draft quality standard prioritises assessment of care home residents, recording of plans and ensuring support is in place for those who need it.

“We are confident that such simple measures could substantially improve the quality of life of many people living in care homes.”