Smile Proud: Oral Health Project

Improving Oral Health Among Texas Nursing Home Residents

Multiple studies acknowledge that poor oral hygiene and lack of routine dental care can contribute to respiratory infections and other systemic diseases in high-risk patients living in nursing homes.

TMF has initiated a project to provide free onsite, online and video education, knowledge, skills and oral care support to nursing home staff and residents. TMF, in collaboration with the Texas Oral Health Coalition and an inter-professional expert advisory workgroup is developing a comprehensive oral care toolkit and educational curriculum that will be used by TMF’s licensed dental hygienists to provide training to nursing homes in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. An important focus will be providing oral health care to patients with dementia.

TMF is kicking-off this project with a free basic oral screening of a small sample of residents in nursing homes in the selected cities. The screenings will help guide the development and focus of the training curriculum.

Nursing homes interested in participating in these projects may contact us at oralhealth@tmf.org or Kristina Poarch, Administrative Assistant, at kristina.poarch@tmf.org, (512) 334-1755

Smile Proud Nursing Home Oral Care Toolkit

Instructional Toolkit Guide

Instructional Toolkit Guide

Staff Training Materials

Training 1 - Importance of Daily Oral Care for the Elderly, PowerPoint Presentation

Training 2 - Daily Oral Care Strategies and Oral Care Planning, PowerPoint Presentation

Training 3 - Residents Requiring Special Care and The Resistant Resident, PowerPoint Presentation

Free Online Continuing Education – After accessing website, click “Learn Online” and click “Course 8” (Geriatric Oral Health)

Special Safety Precautions

Special Safety Precautions in Spanish

Education/Curriculum Assessments

• Training 1 Pre-Assessment
• Training 1 Post-Assessment
• Training 2 Pre-Assessment
• Training 2 Post-Assessment
• Training 3 Pre-Assessment
• Training 3 Post-Assessment
• Answer Key for all Pre- and Post-Training Assessments

Facility/Resident/Family Education Materials in Spanish and English

• Importance of Oral Health
• English
• Spanish

• Recommended Facility Oral Health Practices and Policies
• Brushing Up on Mouth Care - Pages 8-9

• Daily Hygiene Among Residents
• How to brush
• English
• Spanish
• How to brush your teeth poster
• How to clean between the teeth
• English
• Spanish
• How to floss your teeth poster
• Denture and appliance care
• English
• Spanish

Videos

• Nursing Home Wound Care
• Oral Care for Older Adults
• UK Dentistry- Oral Health Training
• Oral Hygiene and Care-Resistant Behaviors: Making a Difference - Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP

Additional Resources

• Access to Dental Care Resource Page
• Daily Oral Health Assessment Tool - Pages 15-16 of the Brushing Up on Mouth Care manual
• Annual Oral Health Assessment Tool - Pages 17-18 of the Brushing Up on Mouth Care manual