Reference/Features

Oral care for patients with dementia

7 mins read Elderly care
Poor dental health can affect a person's comfort, appearance, eating, nutrition, behaviour and general health. Every person with dementia needs an individualised preventive approach to dental care that should ideally begin as soon as dementia is diagnosed

Dementia is a time bomb ticking away. It is likely to affect all healthcare professionals, whether in the patients they treat, their family members or themselves. It is estimated that there will be over 1 million people in the UK with dementia by 2021.

Currently, dementia is under recognised. Less than half the people with dementia in England and Wales have a diagnosis. Two thirds of people with dementia live in their own home, with only a third living in care homes. While the incidence of dementia increases with age, people aged under 65 years can also develop the disease (The Alzheimer's Society, 2014a).

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