National Smile Month

Our team at the hospice are passionate about ensuring that our patients who are in our care, benefit from good mouthcare.

National Smile Month recently took place, and our team made sure we spread awareness about the importance of oral hygiene.

We had examples of products we use on the ward- including a Biozoon machine which we shared with staff from the hospice who might not be aware what the machine does.

We can offer our patients an intense taste experience which doesn’t involve swallowing. Some patients may experience dry mouths due to certain medications, so we are proud that we can give them the opportunity to maximise their quality of life and comfort through this simple device to taste for pleasure.

The device is used to foam up liquid and creates bubbles with the flavour of anything you wish, the bubbles dissolve and gives the patient enjoyment of something they fancy – it could be bubbles of shandy, coffee or juice! Anything is possible, and for a short amount of time, the smiles that come after is wonderful to see!

We also shared it with the Community Palliative Team so they can suggest using it in the community.

During National Smile Month, we promoted four key messages for better oral health:

Brush teeth for two minutes, last thing at night and one other time during the day, with a fluoride toothpaste.

Clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss, and use mouthwash every day.

Cut down on how much and how often you have sugary foods and drinks.

Visit a dentist regularly.

A guest speaker who is a mouth care rep for RIS products (and previous dental nurse) visited and brought samples and kept staff up to date with what’s new in mouth care which we found very engaging and helpful.