Mini Mouth Care Matters
The overall aim of Mini Mouth Care Matters (Mini MCM) is to empower staff through training and education, to identify patients that need help with mouth care and ensure it is delivered in a safe and compassionate way.
Mini Mouth Care Matters programme: Toolkit and implementation for oral health
Two practical resources from the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) and RCPCH support child health professionals to make oral health part of every contact with children, young people and their families. By bringing together key oral health messages, guidance on recognising concerns, and clear signposting to dental services, these resources (on the BPSD website) help professionals feel confident discussing oral health and supporting families to access the right care at the right time.
A practical oral health toolkit for professionals working across child health A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide to Mini Mouth Care Matters
Mini Mouth Care Matters (Mini MCM) empowers medical, nursing and allied health professionals to take ownership of the oral health of any child or young person staying in hospital for more than 24 hours. Through training and education, it helps staff identify those who need support with mouth care and ensure it is delivered in a safe and compassionate way.
We encourage every professional to “lift the lip”, recognise common oral health and dental conditions, and include mouth care as part of basic everyday care. Something as simple as asking whether a child has brought their toothbrush (and providing one if not) can make a real difference to their oral health in hospital, and help good habits continue at home.
Our oral health screening tool helps identify children at high risk of dental decay, which can lead to pain, infection and sepsis, and can affect growth and development. A range of posters featuring the Mini MCM elephant mascot is available for wards and staff rooms, to remind staff and families about mouth care.
Additional Mini MCM resources support professionals working in special educational settings (SES), in the national Complications of Excessive Weight (CEW) clinics, and in caring for children and young people with sickle cell disease