Ivy has lived a life full of cherished memories, but recently she hadn’t been able to enjoy one of her simplest pleasures: her favorite foods. That changed when Ivy received her new dentures just in time for her 105th birthday, meaning she could also fully enjoy all the trimmings of her Christmas dinner.
Ivy is one 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.
Alexandra Kelly, a care assistant and oral health champion in the care home where Ivy lives in south east Essex said “Ivy’s favourite breakfast is sugar on toast, and she is so excited that she will be able to eat it again on her birthday. The impact for care home residents has been incredible and it has been really rewarding to see them return to enjoying themselves and eating and drinking normally.”
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 residents have been offered oral health assessments.
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.
For Ivy, these new dentures not only restored her ability to eat her favourite foods but also ensured she could smile on her birthday.
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.
Dr Amelia Davison, a local dentist from Dental Beauty in Benfleet who has been part of the initiative said: “It’s not just their physical ability that prevents care home residents from travelling to a dental practice, for many patients with conditions such as dementia, simply leaving the safety of their room or home can be overwhelming, let alone visiting somewhere like a dental practice which can be daunting for anyone. By bringing the service to them in a familiar place, they feel safe and confident to allow us to treat their dental needs.”