Interprofessional approach to care: The delivery of quality care by multiple health providers working collaboratively within and across health-care settings (3). With respect to oral health, it is the promotion of oral health and the provision of oral care by multiple interprofessional team members.
Oral care: Refers to the practice of assessing and caring for a person’s oral cavity (mouth) to prevent and/or eliminate oral disease and/or the progression of existing oral diseases (5). Examples include: brushing of teeth, dentures, tongue and soft tissue; oral decontamination using a mouth rinse; interdental cleaning; and moisturizing oral tissue.
Oral care plan: A written plan of care, informed by an oral health history and assessment, that specifies a person’s individualized oral care needs, including goals and preferences for oral care routines.
Oral care protocol: A multi-component, organization-level approach to standardize oral care for all persons receiving care. It includes a standardized oral health assessment, an oral care planG guided by the individual’s oral health assessment, and step-by-step instructions to be followed when providing oral care to persons. It also lists the tools required to provide effective oral care. The oral care protocol is implemented by nurses and the interprofessional team (as appropriate to the knowledge and skill of the health providers), and it can be tailored based on the needs and preferences of the person.
Oral health: “Multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort and disease of the craniofacial complex” (6).
Oral health professional: Refers to regulated health providers who have received formal education and training specific to dental and oral health (e.g., dentists, dental hygienists, dental technologists, and denturists).
Person: An individual who requires assistance with completing some or all of their oral care. This could range from support with the set-up of oral care supplies or providing cues/prompts/reminders to complete oral care, to full physical assistance with oral care. Exceptions to the use of this term occur when discussions in the literature (e.g.,studies or reports) use alternative terms (e.g., patient, client or resident).
Persons who are behaviourally complex: Persons with cognitive, psychological or verbal impairments who may be exhibiting responsive behaviours or care-resistant behaviours during oral care. Responsive or care-resistant behaviours interrupt or impede oral care. These behaviours can be mild (e.g., clenching of the mouth or turning the head away) or extreme (e.g., hitting or kicking) (8). They include: grabbing of tools, health providers or caregivers; vocal responses to care; general agitation; repetitive statements or questions; and screaming (9).