District nurses' role in improving oral health literacy for early recognition of mouth cancer in housebound service users

Housebound service users face significant barriers in accessing routine dental care, resulting in missed opportunities for early detection of mouth cancer, and contributing to delayed diagnoses or presentation of advanced stages of the disease. District nurses are uniquely positioned to facilitate oral health assessments for housebound service users and to embed oral health into holistic assessments. Developing a close working relationship with the wider multidisciplinary team, including dental services, may contribute to district nursing teams being better equipped to complete oral health assessments and facilitate early recognition of mouth cancer in housebound service users. Through a narrative review, this article discusses how enhancing oral health assessments through the development of training resources can enhance district nurses' competency in oral health assessments, improving outcomes for housebound service users.