Great grandmother of one Yvonne and great grandmother of three Sheila are residents at Cherry Wood Grange care home in Chelmsford. They are two of more than 4,000 care home residents across mid and south Essex who have received care under an NHS Mid and South Essex dental initiative that is delivering dental treatments and oral health assessments directly within care homes.
Jo, Deputy Manager of the care home described the service as ‘inspirational’. She said, “The service has been amazing and has had a positive impact on both residents and our staff. Treating residents’ dental needs has meant they can eat and drink more comfortably, they are happier and are more confident when socialising.”
The initiative, launched in late 2023, supports residents living in care homes to have access to oral health assessments and dental treatment, helping to improve the quality of life for residents and reduce future health risks associated with poor oral health.
Now, all 285 care homes in mid and south Essex are covered by one of the 11 dental practices commissioned to take part and all care homes have been offered oral health assessments for their residents.
The initiative sees dental teams bring their equipment to the care homes, where they can do an assessment of residents’ oral health and identify issues such as tooth decay, mobile or broken teeth, gum disease, and oral cancer. The dental teams also deliver a wide range of treatments, including cleaning, fillings, tooth extractions and repairing or replacing dentures.
Jo continued, “We have residents who are cared for in their beds or who physically can’t travel to a dental practice, so having dentists come in has broken down barriers to accessing the care they need.”
Care home residents have increased health risks associated with poor oral health as they may be unable to communicate when they are experiencing dental pain or discomfort, or be unable to travel to a dental practice. As well as causing pain, dental problems can stop residents from eating or drinking properly which can impact their overall physical health and lead to serious health risks such as blood clots, heart attacks, oral cancer, and susceptibility to pneumonia and bronchitis.
Bryony, a Senior Carer for residents at the home with dementia said, “For residents with dementia, simply leaving the safety of their room or home can be overwhelming. So visiting somewhere daunting like a dental practice with a busy waiting room environment is stressful for them. They often forget why they are there and want to leave.
“But the service has been incredible. The dentists have been so friendly and are experienced at communicating with the residents. By bringing the service to their home which is a safe and familiar place, they feel confident to allow the dentists to treat their dental needs. It saves time but also saves stress.”
Tony Clough, Hon Secretary of the Essex Local Dental Committee, and a local dentist from Chelmsford who has been part of the initiative, said: “NHS Mid and South Essex have worked with local dentists to inform how the service could be delivered. They have listened to our ideas and acted on our input, which has helped develop a service that is practical for dental practices to deliver and a service that meets the needs of residents. The initiative has been so successful we’re sharing learning with other areas of the country who are interested in learning about it.”