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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes
2. Assess the oral health needs of an older person
   • Check medical and dental history with patient or family or carer to confirm up-to-date information
   • Actively encourage the patient to discuss oral health problems without embarrassment
   • Identify oral health problems for older people and their relationship to general health problems
   • Identify individualised factors that increase the risk of oral disease for older persons
   • Look in the patient’s mouth while cleaning or assisting with oral care
   • Identify patients with natural teeth, those who wear dentures and those who are non-denture wearers
   • Identify problems that require referral to a dentist
3. Provide support for the maintenance of oral hygiene for older persons
   • Ensure flexibility of oral hygiene instruction taking into consideration a patient’s individual circumstances
   • Demonstrate an understanding of the economic and psychological factors that may affect the oral health of older people
   • Provide an appropriate environment for oral hygiene instruction
   • Develop and give oral hygiene information to patients and carers using language and in a manner they can understand.
4. Implement practical solutions to promote oral health
   • Explain actively to patients and carers the importance of regular dental care to maintain quality of life
   • Recommend lifestyle changes to assist the older person’s diminished salivary flow in consultation with dental practitioner
   • Provide appropriate information to patients and carers for healthy food habits that support oral health
   • Actively encourage patients or carers to clean teeth or dentures after meals
   • Engage carers with appropriate oral health care promotion programs and resources
5. Maintain oral health of people in residential aged care
   • Ensure all removable dentures are visibly marked with the patient’s identification
   • Record oral health in the patient’s personal care plan
   • Implement individual oral health programs in consultation with dental professional
   • Assist patients with special needs to clean their teeth
   • Assist patients or their carers to clean and maintain dentures

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has completed the following tasks:

• provided complete and appropriate information to 3 different older people and/or their carers including:

- information regarding the prevention of oral diseases

- advice and demonstration of oral hygiene techniques

• selected and prepared special aids for oral hygiene to assist 3 patients with limited dexterity

• implemented 3 prevention programs to suit individual patient’s oral health care needs.

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

• national and State/Territory legal and ethical requirements and considerations for dental assisting work including:

­ codes of practice

­ discrimination

­ duty of care

- informed consent and statutory requirements of consent

­ practice standards – Dental Board of Australia guidelines on infection control

­ privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

­ records management

­ work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations

­ work health and safety

• fundamental oral anatomy including:

- structures of the oral cavity, hard and soft palate, lateral and posterior borders of the oral cavity, tongue and floor of the mouth

- teeth form and function

- dentition, arrangement of the teeth, naming and coding of teeth

• plaque and its differing roles in the development of dental caries and periodontal disease

• saliva and its role in the maintenance of oral health including:

- protecting teeth by neutralising acid

- acting as a lubricant

- delivering calcium, phosphate and fluoride to the tooth surface

• factors that lead to the development of dental caries including:

- bacteria in dental plaque

- diet

- susceptible tooth surfaces

- socioeconomic background including dietary intake

- mental health conditions and awareness of oral health issues

- age of teeth

• factors that prevent and control dental caries:

- increasing salivary flow and optimising its composition

- fluorides

- plaque control and removal

- dietary change

- oral health education

• factors that lead to the development of periodontal disease including:

- bacteria in dental plaque

- accumulation of plaque and calculus

- smoking

- medications

- age of teeth

• factors that prevent and control periodontal disease including:

- oral health education

- plaque control

• causes and prevention of non-caries tooth wear including:

- erosion

- abrasion

- attrition

• the impact of smoking on oral soft tissues

• systemic conditions and their pharmacology treatments that influence the development of oral disease

• modification to standard toothbrushes and other aids for oral hygiene to meet the needs of patients with reduced dexterity

• modifications to oral health education programs related to special needs due to disability, older age and dementia.

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