The BDA has always been concerned about the patchy and inconsistent provision of dental care for adults in residential homes and welcomes the new guidance ‘Oral health for adults in care homes’,published by NICE.
However, the BDA warns that implementing these will require adequate funding, and identifying patients in care homes for dental treatment is hampered by the fact that IT systems for dentistry are not integrated into the rest of the NHS.
The BDA investigated the provision of dental services for older people in care homes in 2003, and again in 2012, and found that where access to dental services was poor or non-existent, it can have a devastating impact on the overall health and wellbeing of residents.
This impact ranges from pain and ulcers caused by ill fitting dentures to dehydration and malnutrition caused by difficulties in eating. Poor oral health can also limit an individual’s ability to communicate with their peers and carers, resulting in loneliness and isolation.
Mick Armstrong, chair of the British Dental Association, said:
“Older people have well documented oral health needs, and this will continue to be the case for at least another generation. The BDA has published recommendations based on our own research, many of which are reflected in the NICE guidance.
“We recommend that all residents have an oral health assessment when they enter a care home with the results – including any treatment needs – being entered into their personal care plan.
“Care staff need to be properly trained to adequately look after the dental health needs of residents, and there must be access to dental services when required.
“Looking after the healthcare needs of vulnerable adults is not simply an issue for care homes, and it should not be left to chance. The Government needs to ensure that this guidance is more than aspirational.
“Little more than two per cent of the healthcare budget is spent on dentistry, and commissioning dental services for vulnerable older people is rarely a priority. It's time that this shameful situation is reversed. The current dental budget is simply inadequate to provide these patients with the care they need.
“An increasingly aging population needs an increasingly targeted budget. This NICE guidance, which is supported by the BDA, aims to remedy, not only a democratic deficit, but a demographic deficit in an attempt to ensure better oral health for all of our patients.”