Care workers are being asked to support a campaign aimed at improving oral health.
National Smile Month is a charity campaign all about championing the benefits of having good oral health and promoting the value of a healthy smile.
Between 16 May and 16 June, the Oral Health Foundation will be raising awareness of important health issues and ready to put a smile on everybody’s face. They want as many people as possible to get involved.
Maintaining good oral health throughout life and into older age improves general health and wellbeing, and plays an important part in helping people stay independent.
The CQC report Smiling matters: oral health care in care homes revealed that too many people living in care homes were not being supported to maintain and improve their oral health.
It recommended the implementation of the NICE guideline Oral health for adults in care homes.
Key messages for great oral health
During National Smile Month, four key messages for better oral health are being promoted:
- Brush teeth for two minutes, last thing at night and one other time during the day, with a fluoride toothpaste
- Clean between your teeth every day
- Cut down how much and how often you have sugary foods and drinks
- Visit a dentist regularly
It has also unveiled some advice for people and professionals about oral health and how it is linked to other conditions. These include:
- Diabetes and oral health (PNG 753KB)
- Autism and oral health (PNG 755KB)
- Deafness and oral health (PNG 740KB)
- Blindness and oral health (PNG 730KB)
QCS has recently updated an Oral Factsheet for our customers in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland that can be found in the Resource Centre.
Further information and resources
National Smile Month – https://www.dentalhealth.org/national-smile-month
England
Smiling matters: oral health care in care homes https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/smiling-matters-oral-health-care-care-homes
Improving oral health for adults in care homes
https://www.nice.org.uk/about/nice-communities/social-care/quick-guides/improving-oral-health-for-adults-in-care-homes
Oral heath toolkit for adults in care homes https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-oral-health-in-care-homes-toolkit/oral-health-toolkit-for-adults-in-care-homes
Scotland
Caring for smiles: Guide for care homes https://www.scottishdental.org/library/caring-for-smiles-guide-for-care-homes/
Supporting better oral care in care homes https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/6292/Supporting%20better%20oral%20care%20in%20care%20homes%202021%20-%20final.pdf
Wales
Improving oral health for older people living in care homes in Wales https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-11/improving-oral-health-for-older-people-living-in-care-homes-in-wales-march-2019_0.pdf
Mouth Cancer leaflets for care homes
https://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/news/mouth-cancer-leaflets-for-care-homes/
For more tips on dental care, you can download our oral care factsheet (England) here
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