Colour teaching aids in oral disease for hospital ward staff

Provision of adequate care for the mouths of patients in hospitals, particularly those such as the elderly in long-stay wards, is frequently overlooked. An important contributing factor is the lack of dental training of the carers. As part of a wider initiative to address this problem a set of encapsulated, full colour illustrated sheets has been designed by a team of dentists for use by medical, nursing and allied staff at ward level. The 20 sheets illustrate features of a healthy mouth together with 16 common oral disorders. Each set is held in a loose-leaf ring binder. Over 100 sets are now in use within the West of Scotland, with an encouraging response to the circulated appraisal forms.