Dentists demand better care for adults in care homes

The annual gathering of dentists from Local Dental Committees (LDCs), held in Belfast (June 7-8), has said that commissioning dental services for vulnerable older people is rarely a priority and it's time that this shameful situation is reversed.

Dentists have said that access to dental treatments should be given the same priority as general health for all adults in care homes, as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended two years ago. This has yet to be delivered.

Research by the British Dental Association found that less than two per cent of the NHS dental budget is spent on treating these patients, which cannot provide them with the care they need.  It has also found where oral health care provision is poor that residents can experience difficulties in eating, exacerbated by untreated mouth infections or ill-fitting dentures, which can lead to dehydration and malnutrition.

Recent reports from Healthwatch inspections have found many homes staff were “rushed off their feet”, with many residents lacking access to even basic oral health care. It found vulnerable residents with dentures that have never been taken out, and home managers who admitted oral health was not a major priority.