This content will help you to recognise the importance of mouth care, improve your knowledge and enable you to care for someone’s mouth. All healthcare professionals including nurses and care staff have a vital role in promoting good oral health, supporting and enabling effective mouth care and preventing discomfort and inadequate nutrition. Please note: You are not expected to diagnose problems in the mouth but to recognise when an individual may need support or referral to a dental team.
Learning Outcomes:

• Why taking care of the mouth is important
• Basic mouth care
• Recognise the need to take care of someone else’s mouth
• Causes of dental disease
• Conduct a Mouth Check
• Recognise the need to report any oral health concerns
• Identify people who require assistance with mouth care, including those who need a nurse or carer to clean their mouth for them