Mouth care that protects health and dignity — why oral health matters far beyond teeth, what NICE and CQC expect, daily brushing and denture care done properly, dry mouth, thrush and red flags, supporting people with dementia, and mouth care at the end of life.
What this course covers
- Explain why oral health affects eating, speech, dignity and chest health
- Know what NICE guidance and inspectors expect of mouth care
- Deliver daily tooth and denture care safely and well
- Recognise dry mouth, thrush, ulcers and when to refer
- Support mouth care in dementia, refusal and end of life care
What's in each section
Oral Health & Mouth Care runs across 12 sections, each ending in a quick knowledge check:
- Why Mouths Matter
- What Good Looks Like: NICE and the Inspectors
- Common Problems in Older Mouths
- Assessing and Planning Mouth Care
- Daily Brushing Done Well
- Denture Care Done Right
- Dry Mouth: The Quiet Troublemaker
- Thrush, Ulcers and Red Flags
- Dementia, Refusal and Gentle Persistence
- The Swallowing Link
- Mouth Care at the End of Life
- Dental Access and Your Role
How much does Oral Health & Mouth Care training cost?
£3.99 per person on Care2Learn, with no minimum order and no subscription. If your team needs a full training matrix rather than one course, a subscription from £1.99 per learner per month covers every course in the catalogue — see the 2026 price comparison.
Who needs it
Care home staff above all: NICE guideline NG48 and CQC's 'Smiling matters' reviews expect every care home to assess and support residents' mouth care. Home care staff who prompt or help with brushing need it too, as does anyone supporting someone with dentures, dysphagia or who is nil by mouth. Completion is recorded with the date taken and the date it is next due, so it appears correctly on your training matrix and can be evidenced at inspection.
What the learner receives
A certificate in their own name carrying our CPD Member badge (The CPD Certification Service), showing the completion date and the renewal date a year later, downloadable at any time. The record belongs to the learner, not just the employer — it travels with them rather than sitting in one provider's system.
Related courses
Providers usually assign these alongside Oral Health & Mouth Care.
- Nutrition & Hydration — 45 min online, £3.99 per person
- Dysphagia — 45 min online, £3.99 per person
- Dementia Awareness — 50 min online, £3.99 per person
- End of Life Care — 50 min online, £3.99 per person
You can also browse the full catalogue, or read about the Care Certificate for staff new to care.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Oral Health & Mouth Care training take?
About 45 min of e‑learning, across 12 sections with 14 assessment questions. Learners can stop and resume at any point, and it works on a phone.
What does Oral Health & Mouth Care training cover?
By the end of the course a learner should be able to explain why oral health affects eating, speech, dignity and chest health; know what NICE guidance and inspectors expect of mouth care; deliver daily tooth and denture care safely and well. The full list of learning outcomes is set out above.
Is Oral Health & Mouth Care CPD Aligned, and how is it assessed?
Yes — it is CPD Aligned, and the certificate carries our CPD Member badge. The assessment is multiple choice with a pass mark of 70%; attempts are recorded and learners can retake it. Renewal is set at 12 months from the completion date, so the course reappears on your training matrix when it is due.
Does this make someone competent to deliver mouth care?
No, and it should not be treated that way. It covers the knowledge — daily brushing and denture care, dry mouth, thrush and red flags, dementia and refusal, and mouth care at the end of life. Competence to deliver mouth care must be assessed in the workplace by someone qualified to judge it, and the Oral Health & Mouth Care competency record in your portal is built for that sign‑off.
Does this count towards the Care Certificate?
No — this is a standalone mandatory course rather than one of the Care Certificate standards. The Care Certificate is available as its own guided course for staff who are new to care.
Why does CQC ask about oral health training?
Because 'Smiling matters' (2019, revisited 2023) found most care homes had no oral health training despite NICE guideline NG48 requiring mouth care assessment and support. Inspectors now ask who has been trained, how mouth care is planned and recorded, and what happens when someone declines care.
Start Oral Health & Mouth Care today
£3.99 per person pay-as-you-go — buy it for yourself, or put your whole team on a subscription from £1.99 per learner a month.
Buy this course — £3.99 Add to your team