How Snapsticks evolved to support oral care in dementia

Providing consistent, effective oral care in dementia can be challenging. For many residents, traditional brushing isn’t always possible due to discomfort, resistance or dry mouth. The Alzheimer’s Society report an estimated 70% of care home residents are living with dementia.

It is known that the neurological damage associated with dementia may cause ‘dementia taste buds’ – altering how the brain processes flavours and smells, leading to an abrupt shift in preferences and often a craving for sweets. In addition, side effects of the medication used to manage dementia symptoms can cause a dry mouth or change the way food tastes.

This also applies to how the taste, smell and texture of oral care products are received by those with cognitive impairment.

That’s why we began developing our oral moisture swabsticks, designed to support comfort and hydration throughout the day and particularly aimed at meeting these challenges.

From the start, we worked alongside NHS professionals and Quantum Care, a group of Hertfordshire care homes specialising in dementia care, to ensure development was grounded in real-world use. An example is that they made sure we understood the importance of having a robust product, capable of withstanding biting, a common reflex associated with dementia. The cotton tip must also be tightly wound to mitigate risk of choking.

Early feedback from care homes

Rather than waiting for a final product, we trialled our initial swabstick formulation within care settings and gathered structured feedback from care teams.

Early responses suggested the swabsticks were well tolerated, with minimal reports of irritation and no strong negative aftertaste. As stated earlier, this is particularly important in dementia care, where acceptance of oral care can vary significantly.

Care teams also highlighted how frequently support may be needed. In some cases, multiple swabsticks per day were anticipated, reinforcing the need for simple, repeatable oral moisture solutions for care homes.

Perceived value for money was rated highly, suggesting strong potential for integration into daily care routines.

What we improved

The trial also identified clear areas for development.

Some feedback pointed to taste feeling slightly synthetic, while packaging and format raised questions around ease of use. There was also less certainty around how clearly the benefits supported outcomes like comfort during eating or swallowing.

These insights have been central to refining the product.

Introducing Snapsticks

Snapsticks are the next step in this evolution.

New Senses Snapsticks in development

The individually wrapped, snap-to-activate format is designed to improve hygiene, consistency and ease of use for carers delivering oral care for elderly residents. Alongside this, we have refined the formulation to improve the overall sensory experience, particularly for those sensitive to taste or texture.

Using feedback from experts in the field, we have also reduced the proportion of glycerin used in the solution, so it is well below the recommended 30% maximum.

Developing better oral moisture support

Creating effective oral moisture products for dementia care requires continuous learning from real environments.

These early trials provided a foundation. The next phase will compare the original swabsticks with Snapsticks, helping us further improve usability, comfort and consistency in care.

Our focus remains the same: supporting more comfortable, achievable oral care for people living with dementia.

Find out more about the Senses range.

Watch out for our new Senses Snapsticks arriving soon.