Dentists to be available in care homes after trial

Stephen Denny said many of the residents he visited in care homes had gone for years without treatment

A pilot project providing NHS dental treatment for care home residents is to be made permanent.

Dentists from 11 surgeries have run more than 4,000 sessions for patients with dementia or mobility issues in the last year in mid and south Essex.

It meant residents like 104-year-old Ivy Ritter, who lives at Silverpoint Court care home on Canvey Island, could return to eating her favourite breakfast of toast with sugar.

NHS Mid and South Essex said the trial was so successful, it would become a permanent service from spring 2025.

Amelia Davison, a dentist who took part in the pilot, said most of the work involved fillings, fixing broken teeth - and cleaning.

It proved to be a lifeline for people like Ms Ritter, who spent six months with no teeth after her dentures were lost during a spell in hospital.

Alex Kelly is supporting care home residents by directing them towards dental care

Fellow dentist Stephen Denny said many of the care homes he visited housed residents who had not received oral care for five years.

"With non-verbal people you can't tell when they're in pain, that's the biggest problem," he said.

"A lot of patients with dementia won't really signpost they are in pain, so we're reliant on our carers to give us that information and feedback."

Alex Kelly was recently named the oral health champion at Silverpoint Court, with the role opening a direct line of communication between residents and dentists.

She explained: "The dentist has actually shown me things to look for - signs to look out for - because they experience pain differently with dementia.

"They don't feel pain like we would and a lot of them can't actually express that."

NHS Mid and South Essex said the project was helping to improve the quality of life for a group of people who had faced additional challenges in accessing dental care.