The oral health of nursing home residents is an integral part of their total health. Good oral health facilitates effective chewing, contributes positively to speech, social confidence and is associated with better cognitive and functional capacity in older persons.1 Gum disease can exert a negative effect on diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, serum iron, white blood cell count, fasting blood sugar, hypertension and other health markers.2,3 Upon admission to a local nursing home, residents are given a medical assessment and thereafter regularly monitored by medical practitioners. However, residents are generally not provided with any oral health assessment and only referred to dentists when they complain of dental symptoms.
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