Benefits
Dental Care for People Living with Dementia
A Person-Centred Approach to Care
People living with dementia often experience unique and complex challenges when accessing dental care. Cognitive changes can affect memory, communication, attention, and the ability to interpret unfamiliar situations. These changes can make what would usually be a routine dental visit feel confusing or overwhelming.
As a result, individuals with dementia are less likely to engage with traditional dental services and more likely to experience untreated oral health issues over time (Murali et al., 2025; Oishi et al., 2021).Addressing this gap requires a shift in how care is delivered, with greater emphasis on flexibility, environment, and individual needs.
The Role of Environment in Care Delivery
The setting in which care takes place can significantly influence how it is experienced.
For people living with dementia, unfamiliar environments such as conventional dental clinics can contribute to disorientation, anxiety, and difficulties following instructions. These responses are often not behavioural issues in themselves, but reflections of discomfort, confusion, or sensory overload.
Research in geriatric oral health highlights that barriers to care are often shaped by a combination of cognitive, psychological, and environmental factors, including anxiety, fear, and difficulty adapting to new surroundings (Murali et al., 2025). These factors can reduce cooperation and limit the effectiveness of treatment.
In contrast, delivering care in familiar surroundings such as a person’s home or residential care setting can help create a more stable and supportive experience. Familiar environments reduce cognitive load and can improve a person’s sense of orientation and comfort.
Evidence from dementia care research also suggests that familiarity supports better engagement and reduces distress, particularly when care is aligned with established routines and supported by known caregivers(Rani et al., 2024; Rozas et al., 2017).
How Mobile Dentistry Improves Outcomes
Mobile dentistry allows clinicians to deliver care directly within environments that are already familiar to the individual. This approach removes several of the barriers associated with traditional service models.
By avoiding the need to travel and eliminating exposure to unfamiliar clinical settings, mobile dentistry can reduce anxiety and improve accessibility for individuals with cognitive impairment. It also allows clinicians to adapt care delivery in real time, based on the patient’s behaviour, communication needs, and preferences.
Research suggests that adapting dental care to meet the needs of individuals with cognitive impairment can improve engagement and clinical outcomes, particularly when support is provided within everyday career environments (Rozas et al., 2017). Mobile and portable dental services have also been shown to expand access and improve utilisation among vulnerable populations more broadly (Vashishtha et al., 2014; Gupta et al., 2019).
Importantly, this model enables a more individualised approach to care, where the pace, communication style, and treatment plan can be adjusted to suit the person rather than the setting.
Supporting Caregivers and Continuity of Care
Caregivers play a central role in the oral health of people living with dementia. They are often responsible for daily hygiene routines, monitoring for changes, and facilitating access to care.
Mobile dental services create opportunities for closer collaboration between clinicians and caregivers. By working within the patient's usual environment, clinicians can provide practical, hands-on guidance that is directly relevant to the individual’s daily routines.
Strong evidence supports the value of caregiver involvement. Randomised controlled trials in aged-care settings have shown that training caregivers in oral health practices can significantly improve plaque control, reduce gingival bleeding, and enhance overall oral hygiene outcomes (Hartshornet al., 2021; Weintraub et al., 2018).
This highlights an important point: improving oral health outcomes in people with dementia is not only about providing treatment, but also about supporting the people who deliver daily care.
A Focus on Dignity and Comfort
A person-centred approach to care places the individual at the centre of every decision.
For people living with dementia, preserving dignity, reducing distress, and maintaining a sense of control are essential aspects of care. These factors can directly influence whether care is accepted, tolerated, or avoided.
Delivering dental care in a familiar and supportive environment can help maintain comfort and continuity, reducing the likelihood of distress and improving overall experience.
The broader geriatric care literature increasingly emphasises the importance of integrated, person-centred models that combine dental care with medical, social, and caregiver support systems (Shivakumar etal., 2026). These models recognise that oral health cannot be addressed in isolation.
Instead, it must be understood as part of a wider network of care that supports the individual’s overall wellbeing.
Looking Ahead
As the population ages and the prevalence of dementia continues to rise, the need for adaptable and inclusive models of care will become increasingly important.
Traditional, clinic-based approaches are not always suitable for individuals with complex needs. Mobile dentistry offers a practical and evidence-informed alternative that aligns with the principles of person-centred care.
By focusing on the individual, their environment, and their support network, this model has the potential to improve both access to care and the experience of receiving it.
References
Gupta, S., Hakim, M., Patel, D., Stow, L. C., Shin, K.,Timothé, P., & Nalliah, R. P. (2019). Reaching vulnerable populations through portable and mobile dentistry. Dentistry Journal, 7(3), 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj7030075
Hartshorn, J. E., Cowen, H. J., & Comnick, C. L. (2021).Cluster randomized control trial of nursing home residents’ oral hygiene following an educational program for caregivers. Special Care in Dentistry,41(3), 372–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/scd.12577
Murali, A., Muddappa, S. C., Rajan, R. R., Joseph, A., &Ravi, A. B. (2025). Barriers to geriatric oral health: A multifaceted public health issue. Cureus, 17(8), e89604. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.89604
Oishi, M. M., Childs, C. A., Gluch, J. I., & Marchini,L. (2021). Delivery and financing of oral health care in long-term services and supports: A scoping review. Journal of the American Dental Association, 152(3),215–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2020.10.025
Rani, H.,Mohd-Dom, T. N., Meei, T. I., Rosli, M. S. A., Quan, L. Z., Aziz, A. F. A.,& Aun, N. S. M. (2024). Investigating the challenges and opportunities of domiciliary oral care for older adults: A scoping review. Healthcare,12(23), 2469. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232469
Rozas, N. S., Sadowsky, J. M., & Jeter, C. B. (2017).Strategies to improve dental health in elderly patients with cognitive impairment: A systematic review. Journal of the American Dental Association,148(4), 236–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2016.12.014
Shivakumar, A.T., Srinivas, S., Kalgeri, S. H., Kishor, M. M., & Avarebeel, S. S. (2026).A transformative interprofessional model for geriatric oral health care. Frontiers in Dental Medicine, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2026.1757007
Vashishtha, V.,Kote, S., Basavaraj, P., Singla, A., & Pandita, V. (2014). Reach the unreached: A systematic review on mobile dental units. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 8(8), ZE05–ZE08. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/8688.4717
Weintraub, J. A., Zimmerman, S., Ward, K., Wretman, C. J.,Sloane, P. D., Stearns, S. C., Poole, P., & Preisser, J. S. (2018).Improving nursing home residents’ oral hygiene: Results of a cluster randomized intervention trial. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
