Denture Care & Cleaning

Start the Course

More older adults are aging with their natural teeth but might eventually need a denture, bridge, or implant to replace missing teeth. These devices help people maintain a healthy diet as well as their appearance.
In this course, you’ll learn how to monitor or assist individuals who wear dentures with oral care—these tasks include caring for their dentures as well as caring for their mouths to maintain oral health. You’ll also learn how to help clients adjust to wearing dentures and overcome some of the nutritional challenges they face to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

Course Topics Include:

  • Describe different types of dentures
  • Describe how to monitor or assist individuals to remove, brush, soak, and inspect dentures
  • Describe how to monitor or assist individuals with oral health tasks
  • Identify symptoms of poorly fitted dentures and denture irritation
  • Describe ways to help individuals maintain a healthy diet and adjust to wearing dentures

The following professionals contributed to the creation of this course:

  • Arcora Foundation Staff: Diane Oakes, MPH, MSW; Dianne Riter, MPH; and Karen Lewis, BA
  • Content Experts: May Chin, RDH; Jenny Shuler, DA
  • Continuing Education: This course is approved for one credit hour by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Target Audience: This course is designed for licensed home care aides and other types of caregivers to increase the quality of oral health care delivered to clients or loved ones.

If you have questions or would like more information about this course, please contact Karen Lewis at klewis@ArcoraFoundation.org or 206-528-7344.

Improving Oral Health for Clients with Dementia

Start the Course

Assisting with oral care, and all personal care tasks can be challenging for caregivers and clients as memory loss advances. This dynamic course provides in-depth, dementia-specific information and strategies to build caregiver knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Course Topics Include:

  • Types of dementias
  • Relationship between oral health and dementia
  • The role of caregivers in improving oral care
  • Understanding care-resistant behaviors
  • Strategies to overcome resistance to oral care

The following professionals contributed to the creation of this course:

  • Arcora Foundation Staff: Diane Oakes, MPH, MSW; Dianne Riter, MPH; and Karen Lewis, BA
  • Content Experts: May Chin, RDH; Jenny Shuler, DA; Joanne Mahar, Alzheimer’s Association
  • Reimbursed Consultant: Rita Jablonski, Ph.D., APRN

Continuing Education: This course is approved for one credit hour by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Target Audience: This course is designed for licensed home care aides and other types of caregivers to increase the quality of oral health care delivered to clients or loved ones.

If you have questions or would like more information about this course, please contact Karen Lewis at klewis@ArcoraFoundation.org or 206-528-7344.

Oral Health Basics

Helping clients enjoy good oral health can be challenging. Physical and cognitive diseases or disabilities can make it hard for some clients to perform their own oral care and sometimes they may not want the help of family members or other caregivers.

Course Topics Include:

• Strategies to make providing oral care easier – for you and your clients
• How oral health affects overall health
• How aging affects oral health
• Basic facts about oral health and ways to assist clients with routine daily oral care
• What a healthy mouth and unhealthy mouth look like
• How to identify and report unusual conditions in and around the mouth to help clients prevent oral disease or intervene early before a dental problem becomes more serious

Target Audience: This course is designed for licensed home care aides and other types of caregivers to increase the quality of oral health care delivered to clients or loved ones.

Continuing Education: This course is approved for one credit hour by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

The following professionals contributed to the creation of this course:
Arcora Foundation Staff: Diane Oakes, MPH, MSW; Alison Cusick, MPA; and Karen Lewis, BA
Content Experts: Joyce Hagen, RDH, MA; May Chin, RDH; Jenny Shuler, CDA, BA

Original Release Date: May 2019
Expiration Date: May 2022

Arcora Foundation is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.

ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

Arcora Foundation designates this activity for 1 continuing education credits.