A practical guide

There is an essential need to improve the support provided to our growing elderly population living in nursing and residential care homes in the UK, regarding oral care. This article will discuss the importance of good oral health for this group of individuals. It will explore the challenges faced by healthcare staff providing oral care within this often-fast moving fluid environment.

The need for effective oral care was highlighted in the CQC report entitled ‘Smiling matters’ (2019). This report examined current findings, a number of issues were identified, and guidance was recommended and developed. There has since been a progress report (published March 20, 2023) and it has become apparent that the lack of access to dental care has increased, but interestingly a high number of care homes have been identified as having a clear policy to promote and protect people’s oral health and the importance of providing oral care and care for dentures is improving. This appears to reflect the uptake of more carers in learning how to deliver oral care.