Care homes have made improvements in oral health but residents continue to miss out on vital care from dentists, according to a Care Quality Commission report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) review on the state of oral health care in care homes across England found that awareness of NICE oral health guidelines had increased from 61% of care homes in 2019 to 91% in 2022. It also found an increase in the proportion of care plans that cover oral health needs, from 27% in 2019 to 60% in 2022.

However, inspectors remained concerned that people living in care homes are missing out on vital care from dental practitioners at the right time and in the right place. Care home providers said that not enough dentists were able or willing to visit care homes to treat people who may be less mobile.

The report found that the percentage of care home providers offering specific training in oral health doubled from 30% to 60%, but said training must be extended to reach the missing 40%.

CQC is calling for care home providers to raise awareness of what people should expect when they enter a care home and their families. This would include getting an oral health assessment on admission to a care home, how much treatment should cost, and who is entitled to free treatment on the NHS.

It recommends commissioners should promote joint working between care homes and dentists, and use funding to improve oral health in care homes through local initiatives such as peer-to-peer support schemes, increasing dental access and more training.

The report is a follow-up to a 2019 review which found that staff awareness of the NICE guideline recommendations was low, and not everyone was supported to keep their teeth or dentures clean.

Mary Cridge, director of adult social care at CQC, said: “While I am pleased to see that many of our recommendations from 2019 have been taken on board, and providers are more aware of how important oral health is to keeping people healthy, we recognise that there is still room for improvement. In particular, it is imperative that more is done to ensure people have access to vital care from dentists and that oral and dental health is included in all care plans.”