AN INNOVATIVE pilot is helping vulnerable people win the battle against dental neglect and toothache in Southend.

The new pilot project which has stated in Southend by Public Health England focusing helping those with dementia have a safe trip to the dentist.

A toolkit has been developed which is transforming interactions with dementia sufferers to enable them to receive essential oral care.

The easy-read materials with pictures aid carers and dentists with preparing and treating people with brain disease.

For dental teams, an A4 poster with “top tips” was devised to act as a guide to support a patient with dementia and make the whole experience less stressful.

In Southend and Thurrock, an estimated 19,000 people are living with dementia with a further predicted rise to over 25,000 in the next ten years, based on Office for National Statistics Population data in 2014.

PHE worked with Southend’s clinical commissioning group and council to establish what stopped people with brain disease going to a dentist. They discovered that carers found it difficult to provide mouth care to someone unable to understand or co-operate and also had trouble explaining the process of a dental visit.

Gaining “consent” for dental treatment from a patient was equally problematic. It was concluded that dementia-friendly services at dental practices were all too often lacking.

Finally, a best interest flow chart was developed for the dentist in charge of the treatment to help with making decisions.

Cassie Searle, a carer from Southend, went through the struggles of getting her father to visit a dentist when suffering from dementia.

She said: “During dad’s journey living with dementia, he has struggled to go to the dentist and keep up with his oral health. One incident involved a member of staff greeting him in an apron – this frightened him and took a long time to get over, and for him to go back.

“We used the resource for carers and had a much more positive experience, as we had practiced with the PHE flash cards beforehand, prepared necessary paperwork, medication list and ailments for the dentists and even visited the practice beforehand – this resulted in a calm, and actually quite fun visit to the dentist, where his teeth and gums were checked.”

Samantha Glover, Dental Programme Manager at PHE, East of England said: “The process to develop the resources was straightforward; the prompts aid discussion and helps familiarise the patient with what to expect, whereas the guidelines provide a useful cue for dental practices.”

Crowstone Dental Practice in Southend who have been using the materials, have also had a positive response.

A spokesman for the practice said: “The feedback has been excellent - motivating and enthusing staff to develop their skill set further, enabling them using the resources and tools available to support, understand and minimise patients’ anxieties who have Dementia.”

The carer resource has been distributed to more than 100 care homes in Southend.