Mouth Care Matters (FutureLearn)

Mouth Care Matters (FutureLearn)

Learn from experts how to provide someone with good mouthcare, whether in the health and social sectors or in a domestic setting. Discover the importance of good mouth health. From dentists, health and social workers, to carers, many people are tasked with looking after the mouth health of people unable to undertake it themselves. On this course, you will learn the basics of good mouth health, including tooth decay, gum disease, and toothbrushes. You’ll explore how to assess the state of someone else’s mouth, and how to clean it properly.

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In just six weeks, you will learn why good mouth care matters, how to examine someone else’s mouth and choose the correct equipment for providing the mouth care that they need. You will learn how to clean a mouth, how to care for dentures and how to overcome many of the mouth care challenges that a resistive person can give you.
You will also learn some of the basics of good mouth health, such as tooth decay, gum disease, and toothbrushes.

What topics will you cover?

  • Why good mouth care matters
  • How to examine a mouth and decide what care to give
  • How to clean a mouth and to care for dentures
  • What equipment and products are needed
  • Mouth care for resistant people, such as those living with dementia or additional needs

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Assess other people's mouths in a standard way, to understand if they are healthy or if they require your support with their daily mouth care.
  • Apply what you learn so that you become increasingly confident in assessing and cleaning someone else's mouth.
  • Apply what you have learned about cleaning and marking dentures.
  • Assess someone else's mouth to understand if it is dry and in need of mouth care from you.

-Produce a suitable care plan for someone living with dementia, who needs support with their daily mouth care.

  • Assess the equipment you will need, to deliver mouth care for each person you have responsibility for.

Improve your understanding of some core oral health knowledge, such as tooth decay, gum disease, toothbrushes and dental plaque

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for people in the health and social care sectors, for nurses, carers, speech and language therapists and for those in the domestic setting, as well as student dentists and dental hygienists.

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