Purpose Poor oral health can negatively impact on the overall health of an individual. Evidence highlights nurses' misgivings about providing oral care. Method Several articles were sourced across three clinical databases and four 'core' papers were critiqued using CASP. Findings A literature review identified two areas which require service improvement: 1) Co-presented oral care training should be delivered to staff teams, incorporating material which is developed in collaboration with allied health and social care professionals; 2) Dental teams should be included in the production of care plans for people with a learning disability. Conclusions Indications of ritualistic practice remain in UK nurses' approach to oral care. Daily issues faced by staff teams and the voices of people with a learning disability are underrepresented. Training and integrated care planning could significantly improve oral health outcomes for people with a learning disability.Editor's note: 'Nurse' and 'nurses' refers to general (medical) nurses in this article rather than dental nurses. AimA learning disability is a reduced ability to learn and understand new concepts or Mark Thurston, a former dental care professional who is currently a third year learning disabilities nursing student, summarises the findings of his dissertation -a literature review and proposed service improvement -undertaken as part of his degree in Nursing (Learning Disabilities) at the University of the West of England, Bristol.