Health and Social Care

Caring for Smiles – Scotland’s oral health training and support programme for care homes

July 23, 2014 by Eilidh Smith No Comments | Category Uncategorized

The oral health status of older people in Scotland is changing. No longer can we expect older people living in care homes to have no natural teeth and wear dentures. Currently 46% of people over 75 have retained some natural teeth.

What this means for care homes:

Toothache can be painful – but for older vulnerable people it is not just the risk of dental pain that is the issue. There is growing evidence linking poor oral health to a number of serious diseases, some of which can be life-threatening to frail older people – such as aspiration pneumonia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Even for people who have carefully looked after their teeth for a lifetime, there is often a period before going into care where this ability declines. This means it is crucial that oral health status is properly assessed soon after a person enters care to ensure they receive the most appropriate day-to-day care and dental treatment if required.

Often mouth care is considered to be ‘basic’, akin to shaving. This may be because in the recent past most residents would have dentures. While it is very important that dentures are kept clean, caring for someone’s natural teeth is also vital. Additionally, if the person has dementia, this can be very challenging for care staff. Oral care is often neglected when an older person resists care, and staff need to have good dementia skills.

The NHS Caring for Smiles programme was developed to deliver oral health training to care home staff. It has been rolled out across all of Scotland with Caring for Smiles teams working closely with care home managers and staff.

Later in 2014 two new SCQF-accredited oral health qualifications will become available – one at Foundation level, the other at Intermediate. Care staff who successfully complete the assessments will be awarded a formal certificate.

Recently, some enthusiastic care homes participated in the National Smile Month campaign and invited residents, relatives and staff to take part. This involved a number of activities – one popular with residents was taking the opportunity to brush staff members’ teeth – so they know what it feels like. Those involved were also invited to take part in a Smile Month competition which had care homes creating a number of imaginative displays, full of information about keeping mouths health, some with residents’ stories and memories of looking after their teeth too. Prizes for the best display were awarded.

For more information on the Caring for Smiles programme, contact sheila.welsh@aapct.scot.nhs.uk.

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