On 19 April the Relatives & Residents Association (R&RA) launched a 'Keep Smiling' campaign to highlight the importance of dental health.

At the Association's AGM, R&RA Chair Judy Downey emphasised what a crucial area of care dental health is, and that it matters not only for good health, but for all aspects of well-being and self-esteem: 'Older people today are more likely to keep their natural teeth than ever before. They have higher expectations of a healthy mouth and looking good.

'As the handbook points out, it's hard to keep smiling when you've got toothache or a problem with your mouth. As a person's ability to care for their teeth and dentures gets harder so does the general health of their mouth unless they have the support of those who care for them.'

The 'Keep Smiling' campaign builds on the R&RA's successful Keys to Care programme, supporting care workers in their day-to-day work. The publication is available to download at: http://www.relres.org/wp-content/uploads/Keep-Smiling.pdf. It explains and shows care workers and carers useful skills, tools and techniques, as well as dental care in action in different care settings. There is an associated video in production.