Mouth and Teeth Care
I. Purpose
- To prevent bacterial infection.
- To prevent formation of sores.
- To promote cleanliness, comfort and health.
- To enable the patient to articulate distinctly thus requiring less effort make himself understood.
II. When to wash the Mouth
- After waking up in the morning.
- After meals.
- At bed time.
- In accordance with doctor’s order.
III. Mouth Wash Commonly Used
- Listerine with water.
- Beric acid solution 2%.
- Antiseptic solution—1 tbsp. to a glass of water.
- Dobells solution—1 tbsp. to a glass of water
- Hydrogen peroxide—1 tbsp. to a glass of water.
- Potassium chlorate S grins to every 1 Oz. of water.
- NSS or 1 tsp. table sale to a glass of water.
- Equal parts of sodium bicarbonate 10% solution and sodium chloride solution.
- Potassium permanganate—1:10, 000 units.
Note: Many patient with artificial dentures are sensitive about them, so be careful to guard against offending them in any way.
IV. Equipment
- Tooth brush
- Dentrifice
- Kidney basin
- Towel
- Mouth wash solution
- Special mouth care tray with the following:
- Cotton applicators
- Dressing sponges
- Tongue depressor
- Mineral Oil or vaseline
- Paper bag
- Drinking Glass tube
- Asepto syringe or irrigating bulb
V. Procedure
A. With patient who is able to carry out oral hygiene procedure:
- Place the patient in the sitting position with the kidney basin before him on the table. 11 ambulatory, he will take his toilet articles along with him to the bathroom.
- Arrange articles conveniently for us~ and instruct him.
- Remove equipment promptly when finished.
B. With patient requiring assistance:
- Wash your hands, tell the patient what you are going to do.
- Turn the patient on his side with his face along the pillow and her head near the edge of the bed in upright position if possible: Place towel and kidney basin under the patient’s chin.
- Wet brush and apply dentifrice.
- Offer water or mouth wash to patient to rinse his mouth.
- Have patient separate teeth or open mouth so that the teeth are accessible.
- Brush upper, teeth from gums down over teeth. Brush lower teeth from gums up over the teeth. Brush upper and lower lingual surface. Brush tongue from back forward.
- Rinse brush frequently while working.
- Offer mouth wash or water and let him rinse his mouth well holding kidney basin under his chain.
- Make patient comfortable and take equipment away.
C. With patient comfortable unable to care for mouth and teeth:
- Turn patient’s head to one side near the edge of the bed.
- Place towel under patient’s mouth and chin and put kidney basin place to catch rinsing water.
- Moisten applicator with mouth wash and sponge all surface of mouth and teeth. Change applicator as often as necessary. Insert tongue depressor between teeth to keep mouth open as necessary.
- Clean tongue if coated with dressing wrapped in a tongue depressor and dipped in mouth wash solution.
- Have patient rinse mouth by drawing some of the solution through drinking tube or by irrigating with the bulb syringe. Rinse well directing solution to side or mouth.
- Wipe lips well. If cracked or dry apply mineral oil or vaseline (Lemon juice may be added to the glycerine)
- Make patient comfortable and remove equipments.