Purposes. General Guidelines. Oral hygiene should be performed before breakfast,
after each meal, and at bedtime. Oral hygiene is especially important for patients receiving oxygen therapy, patients who have nasogastric tubes, and patients who are NPO. Their oral mucosa dries out much faster than normal due to their mouth-breathing. You should provide for patient privacy during the procedure, as this is an extremely personal procedure for most patients. Oral care for the unconscious patient should be performed at least every four hours. Lipstick, chap
stick, or vaseline may be applied to the lips to keep them from drying out. Nursing Records. Nursing observations for the patient’s mouth should be recorded in the clinical record, noting such factors as: Conscious Patients with Dentures. General
considerations. Many patients are sensitive or embarrassed about wearing dentures; therefore, the patient’s privacy should be respected when the dentures are cleaned. Dentures must be handled carefully; they are fragile and expensive, and the patient is handicapped without them. If the dentures are left out of the mouth for any period of time, place them in a covered opaque container with the patient’s name on the container. Dentures must be kept in water to preserve
their fit and general quality; the color may change if they become dry. You may avoid breaking the dentures while cleaning them by holding them over a basin of water with a washcloth folded in the bottom. Dentures are brushed in the same way as natural teeth; be sure to rinse them well. The denture cup should be labeled with the patient’s name and room number. Never use hot water to rinse the dentures as it could warp them; use cool or lukewarm water. The patient’s gums and soft tissues should be cared for at least twice per day while the dentures are out of the mouth; a soft-bristled toothbrush, swab, or gauze-covered tongue blade dipped in mouthwash should be used to cleanse the gums, tongue, and soft tissues. Patients With Mouth Complications. The following problems are common in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy:
Brush the teeth and clean the mouth using one of the following methods: 1 Brush the teeth carefully with a very soft toothbrush. 2 Wrap a tongue blade with a gauze sponge saturated with a prescribed solution; carefully swab the teeth and mouth. Do not use lemon/glycerine swabs or commercial mouthwash because they contain alcohol, which causes burning. Infection. Observe the patient’s mouth for appearance, integrity, and general condition. Wear clean gloves during the procedure. Obtain a culture, if ordered. Do not floss the teeth if the mouth is irritated or painful. Assist the patient with brushing the teeth and cleaning the mouth, using a soft toothbrush or a gauze-padded tongue blade. Rinse the mouth with water and the prescribed solution, if ordered. Ulcerations, to include stomatitis.
Unconscious Patients. Oral care should be performed at least every four hours. Oral suctioning may be required for the unconscious patient to prevent aspiration. A soft toothbrush or gauze-padded tongue blade may be used to clean the teeth and mouth. The patient should be positioned in the lateral position with the head turned toward the side to provide for drainage and to prevent aspiration. Purposes.
General Guidelines. Oral hygiene should be performed before breakfast, after each meal, and at bedtime. Oral hygiene is especially important for patients receiving oxygen therapy, patients who have nasogastric tubes, and patients who are NPO. Their oral mucosa dries out much faster than normal due to their mouth-breathing. You should provide for patient privacy during the procedure, as this is an extremely personal procedure for most patients. Oral care for the unconscious patient should be performed at least every four hours. Lipstick, chap stick, or vaseline may be applied to the lips to keep them from drying out. Nursing Records. Nursing observations for the patient’s mouth should be recorded in the clinical record, noting such factors as:
Conscious Patients with Dentures. General considerations. Many patients are sensitive or embarrassed about wearing dentures; therefore, the patient’s privacy should be respected when the dentures are cleaned. Dentures must be handled carefully; they are fragile and expensive, and the patient is handicapped without them. If the dentures are left out of the mouth for any period of time, place them in a covered opaque container with the patient’s name on the container. Dentures must be kept in water to preserve their fit and general quality; the color may change if they become dry. You may avoid breaking the dentures while cleaning them by holding them over a basin of water with a washcloth folded in the bottom. Dentures are brushed in the same way as natural teeth; be sure to rinse them well. The denture cup should be labeled with the patient’s name and room number. Never use hot water to rinse the dentures as it could warp them; use cool or lukewarm water. The patient’s gums and soft tissues should be cared for at least twice per day while the dentures are out of the mouth; a soft-bristled toothbrush, swab, or gauze-covered tongue blade dipped in mouthwash should be used to cleanse the gums, tongue, and soft tissues. Patients With Mouth Complications. The following problems are common in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy:
Brush the teeth and clean the mouth using one of the following methods: 1 Brush the teeth carefully with a very soft toothbrush. 2 Wrap a tongue blade with a gauze sponge saturated with a prescribed solution; carefully swab the teeth and mouth. Do not use lemon/glycerine swabs or commercial mouthwash because they contain alcohol, which causes burning. Infection. Observe the patient’s mouth for appearance, integrity, and general condition. Wear clean gloves during the procedure. Obtain a culture, if ordered. Do not floss the teeth if the mouth is irritated or painful. Assist the patient with brushing the teeth and cleaning the mouth, using a soft toothbrush or a gauze-padded tongue blade. Rinse the mouth with water and the prescribed solution, if ordered. Ulcerations, to include stomatitis.
Unconscious Patients. Oral care should be performed at least every four hours. Oral suctioning may be required for the unconscious patient to prevent aspiration. A soft toothbrush or gauze-padded tongue blade may be used to clean the teeth and mouth. The patient should be positioned in the lateral position with the head turned toward the side to provide for drainage and to prevent aspiration. by Liane Clores, RN MAN · August 29, 2015 Nurse Rita is receiving endorsement from the outgoing nurse and is reading the patient’s chart for orders. In one chart, she read that oral care is to be done before the end of the shift. Being employed in the hospital for almost a year now, she knows that oral care is done through: Independent patients
Dependent patients
Unconscious patients
Source: //www.atitesting.com/ati_next_gen/skillsmodules/content/personal-hygiene/equipment/oral-hygiene2.html What Do You Think?What is the most important action when providing mouth care for the unconscious patient?CORRECT. An unconscious patient is placed in the side-lying position when mouth care is provided because this position prevents pooling of secretions at the back of the oral cavity, thereby reducing the risk of aspiration.
How do you provide mouth care for unconscious patient?Unconscious patients cannot take care of their own oral hygiene, so it is up to caregivers to ensure that their mouths are clean. The best way to clean an unconscious patient's mouth is to use a suction toothbrush. A suction toothbrush is a toothbrush that is attached to a suction device.
What should the nurse do to prepare the unconscious client for oral care?What's the process of oral care for an unconscious patient?. Gather supplies.. Check identification bracelet or name tag.. Introduce self, tell patient what you are going to do, provide privacy.. Wash hands, put on gloves.. Raise bed to comfortable height to perform oral care and raise head of bed 30 degrees.. What is the correct procedure when cleaning the teeth of an unconscious person?Oral Hygiene For Unconscious Patient Ati
Gently brush the teeth, gums, and tongue. You may also use a mouthwash, if desired. Be sure to rinse the mouth thoroughly afterwards. It is also important to keep the lips moisturized to prevent them from cracking.
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