Improving Evidence-Based Oral Health of Nursing Home Residents Through Coaching by Dental Hygienists

Good oral hygiene has an impact on the overall health of residents in long-term care; however, significant improvement is needed in nursing homes. A “boots on the ground” project was developed that incorporates Mouth Care without a Battle, an evidence-based approach to person-centered daily mouth care, into 22 New York State nursing homes using a coaching model with part-time dental hygienists. This report discusses implementation of the quality improvement project, which improved the quality of daily mouth care provided to nursing home residents, as well as changed the knowledge and attitudes of the staff providing their care, all supported by regional dental hygienist coaches.