A care home in Essex has begun receiving regular NHS dental visits following the introduction of a commissioned care home dental service.
Southminster Residential Home near Maldon now receives twice-yearly dental check-ups for residents, delivered by Maldon-based practice Carmelite. According to the home’s manager, Liz Wynn, the service has improved access to routine dental care for residents who previously faced difficulties attending external appointments.
NHS Mid and South Essex confirmed that the care home dental service followed a pilot programme launched in Nov 2023 and is now fully commissioned until Apr 2030.
Wynn said that many care home residents experience complex health needs, including frailty and cognitive impairment, which can make accessing dental care in community settings challenging. She noted that some residents had experienced oral pain that affected their ability to eat.
She added that residents who are able to communicate have responded positively to receiving dental care on site.
William Guy, director of primary care at NHS Mid and South Essex, said the scheme has supported access to dental treatment for a large number of care home residents, including those at a site on Canvey Island.
Access to dental services in care homes remains a wider issue. A “Care Quality Commission” report published in 2023 found that 25% of care home providers reported residents being unable to access dental care. The regulator recommended that oral health assessments be carried out at the point of admission to care homes.
Jeremy Clerc, chief executive of Assisted Living Magazine, said that delivering dental care in care home settings has become more challenging due to increasing care complexity and workforce pressures.
“People are entering care homes with more advanced health conditions and higher levels of neurodiversity, including dementia, autism and learning disabilities,” he said. “Providing dental care in these environments requires time, specialist knowledge and consistency, which can be difficult to maintain when services are under pressure.”
An NHS spokesperson previously said work is ongoing to provide 700,000 urgent dental appointments across England.
Source: BBC
