Purpose & Scope

Purpose

• The purpose of this BPG is to provide nurses, the interprofessional team and caregivers with evidence-based recommendations for the provision of oral care for adults (18 years of age and older) that will: (a) promote an interprofessional approach to providing oral care, (b) enhance the delivery of oral care interventions, and (c) ultimately lead to positive oral health outcomes for persons.
• This BPG recognizes that a person- and family-centred approach to care is essential for providing oral care (or providing assistance with oral care) to adults across the continuum of care.
• This BPG also recognizes that when providing any form of oral care, infection control practices should be followed.

Scope

• This BPG focuses on providing oral care across health settings to adults (18 years and older) who require assistance with oral care in a continuum that ranges from the set-up of oral care supplies to full physical assistance with oral care.
• This BPG provides recommendations to support the delivery of oral care—including appropriate supervision, prompting and assistance—while still advocating for the person’s independence and autonomy.
• Specifically, this BPG addresses the following:
• a multi-component oral care protocol;
• strategies and techniques for the provision of oral care;
• education on oral health and care for health providers, caregivers, students entering health professions, persons and their families;
• an interprofessional approach to providing oral care;
• implementation strategies and tools;
• evaluation criteria related to recommendations; and
• future research opportunities and gaps in knowledge.