Updated September 2026
A curated collection of guidance, training and information to support the oral health and dental care of people living with dementia. These resources are intended for dental professionals, health and social care staff, and families and carers.
The British Society of Gerodontology is not responsible for the content of external websites. Links were correct at the time of updating; please contact us if you find a broken link.
On this page
- Oral health and dental care guidance
- Mouth care resources for carers and care staff
- Dementia training and awareness
- Dementia-friendly environments
- Communication and patient information
- Safeguarding
- Nutrition
- Dementia statistics, prevention and awareness
- Further reading
Oral health and dental care guidance
College of General Dentistry – Dementia-Friendly Dentistry Good Practice Guidelines
Covers the epidemiology and diagnosis of dementia and its implications for dental professionals; communication, consent and capacity; history taking, treatment planning, care delivery and prescribing; and considerations for dental practices, care homes and domiciliary care.
View the guidelines
Royal College of Surgeons of England – Supporting oral health care for older adults
Faculty of Dental Surgery clinical guidelines. These sit alongside NHS England’s framework below, which focuses on local planning and commissioning; together they support a more joined-up approach to older people’s oral health.
View the FDS guidelines | NHS England framework for maintaining the oral health of our ageing population
Care Quality Commission
Dental Mythbuster 40 – Caring for people living with dementia
Good practice in care for those living with dementia: literature review
CQC cross-sector dementia strategy (in development)
University of Plymouth – Dental Dementia Friendly Guide
A guide to help dental professionals incorporate dementia-friendly care into their practice. Co-written by Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and Plymouth City Council, developed from community engagement work in the Peninsula Dental School curriculum.
Find out more
Cheshire and Merseyside – Dementia Friendly Dentistry Toolkit
Advice and guidance to help dentists and dental care professionals manage the dental care of patients living with dementia.
Download the toolkit (PDF)
Newcastle University – Dental Decisions Tool
A co-produced tool helping patients and dentists make treatment decisions together. Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
View the tool
British Society of Special Care Dentistry
Guidelines and publications, including oral care information for patients and carers and links to disability organisations.
View BSSCD guidelines
British Society of Gerodontology
Our guideline documents, newsletters and Oral Health Resource Pack.
BSG Downloads | Oral Health Resources
Mouth care resources for carers and care staff
e-Learning for Healthcare – Improving Mouth Care
Free advice and guidance for health and care staff on providing evidence-based mouth care, including for people living with dementia.
Access on the NHS Learning Hub
Mouth Care Matters
Training for staff on the impact of poor oral health for older people in residential and hospital settings, with accompanying videos.
Mouth Care Matters training | Mouth Care Matters videos
University of Portsmouth – Mouth care at home
Free, easy-read resources to improve mouth and dental care for people living with dementia at home. In collaboration with King’s College London and Queen Mary University of London; funded by NIHR.
View the resources
Alzheimer’s Society – Dental care
Information on dental care for people living with dementia.
Read more
Dementia UK – Mouth care for people with dementia
Information about oral health with a downloadable leaflet.
Read more and download the leaflet
Alzheimer Scotland – Oral health and dementia
Download the information sheet (PDF)
British Society for Disability and Oral Health – How to clean someone’s mouth
Watch the video on YouTube
Dementia training and awareness
“The Appointment” – film for the dental team
Shows the impact of a dental appointment and the crucial role of the whole dental team in supporting patients with short-term memory problems and undiagnosed dementia. Designed to be watched together as part of a practice meeting.
Watch on YouTube | Download the resource pack (PDF)
Skills for Health – Dementia Core Skills Training Framework
Oral health is included in the framework.
View the framework
NHS England Workforce, Training and Education
Dementia training for all health professionals, including tiered resources.
Dementia training overview | Tier 1, 2 and 3 resources
e-Learning for Healthcare – Dementia e-learning programme
Access the dementia modules
- Module 1: Introduction to living with dementia – dementia awareness; person-centred dementia care
- Module 2: Enabling people to live well with dementia – identification, assessment and diagnosis; risk reduction and prevention; communication, interaction and behaviour; health and wellbeing; pharmacological interventions; living well and promoting independence; families and carers as partners; equality, diversity and inclusion; law, ethics and safeguarding; end of life care; research and evidence-based practice; leadership in transforming dementia care
Dementia Education and Learning Through Simulation 2 (DEALTS 2)
A simulation-based training package for staff working regularly with people living with dementia.
View DEALTS 2 resources
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Dementia 100 pathway assessment toolkit
Improving access, experience and outcomes for people living with dementia from ethnic minority communities – resources and an e-learning module, in collaboration with NHS England, to help narrow health inequalities.
Young onset dementia
Dementia UK – Young onset dementia: a framework for change
Young Dementia Network – Supporting the autonomy of people with young onset dementia (webinar)
Alzheimer’s Research UK and Bournemouth University
The Lived Experience of Dementia – e-learning with practical tips and evidence on caring and communicating with people with dementia.
A Walk Through Dementia – films available as a virtual reality app (search “A Walk Through Dementia” in your app store); can also be viewed without a VR headset.
UCL / FutureLearn – The Many Faces of Dementia
Insight into dementia through the stories, symptoms and science behind four less common diagnoses. Free access to limited content.
Find out more
Dementia Guide for Carers and Care Providers (eBook)
Practical information for anyone caring for a person living with dementia. Free from Apple Books, the Kindle Store and Smashwords, or as an app from the Apple App Store.
Dementia-friendly environments
NHS England WTE – Audit for Dementia Friendly Dentistry
A dental practice audit based on the iSPACE Dementia Friendly Model for GP surgeries in Wessex.
Download the audit (PDF)
The King’s Fund – Enhancing the Healing Environment
Resources to help hospitals, care homes, primary care premises and specialist housing become more dementia friendly.
View the resources
Communication and patient information
Alzheimer’s Society
Positive language: a guide to talking about dementia (PDF)
Tips and templates for dementia-friendly documents
DEEP – Writing dementia-friendly information
Download the guide (PDF)
NHS England – Accessible Information Standard
View the standard
Safeguarding
General Dental Council – Guidance on child protection and vulnerable adults
View the guidance
GOV.UK – Supporting people living with dementia through safeguarding processes
Good practice for working with people living with dementia, including how professionals can provide quality safeguarding and best involve people in decision-making.
View the guidance
Alzheimer’s Society – Safeguarding people with dementia
Read more (further information is available by searching “safeguarding” on their website)
Nutrition
Bournemouth University Ageing and Dementia Research Centre – Eating and Drinking Well
A toolkit for supporting people living with dementia to eat and drink well.
View the toolkit
Dementia statistics, prevention and awareness
Dementia Statistics Hub
View the latest dementia statistics
The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care – 2024 update
Read the report
Alzheimer’s Society – Dementia Action Week
Takes place each May. Please consider ways to continue raising awareness of the importance of early diagnosis for people affected by dementia.
Find out more
Further reading
- Doshi M, Geddis-Regan A (eds). Oral Health and Dental Care in the Ageing Population. BDJ Clinician’s Guides. Springer; 2022. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10224-0
See Chapter 10: Curl C, Kerr K, Geddis-Regan A. Oral health and healthcare for people living with dementia and other cognitive impairments. - Kerr K, Curl C, Geddis-Regan A. The impact of dementia on oral health and dental care, part 1: setting the scene for dental care provision. Prim Dent J. 2020;9(2):24–30.
- Geddis-Regan A, Kerr K, Curl C. The impact of dementia on oral health and dental care, part 2: approaching and planning treatment. Prim Dent J. 2020;9(2):31–37.
- Kerr KT. Management of the oral health of care home residents in general and those with dementia [editorial]. Community Dent Health. 2022;39:154.
- Scambler S, Curtis S, Manthorpe J, Samsi K, Rooney Y, Gallagher J. The mouth and oral health in the field of dementia. Health (London). 2023;27(4):540–558. doi:10.1177/13634593211049891
- Geddis-Regan A. Dental care for people living with dementia: current challenges and planning for the future. The UK perspective. Community Dent Health. 2023;40(2):125–130. doi:10.1922/CDH_00279Geddis-Regan06