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.
(2)
Infection.
(a) Observe the patient's mouth for appearance, integrity, and general
condition.
(b) Wear clean gloves during the procedure.
(c)
Obtain a culture, if ordered.
(d) Do not floss the teeth if the mouth is irritated or painful.
(e) Assist the patient with brushing the teeth and cleaning the mouth,
using a soft toothbrush or a gauze-padded tongue blade.
(f)
Rinse the mouth with water and the prescribed solution, if ordered.
(3)
Ulcerations, to include stomatitis.
(a) Basic procedure for the patient with an infection should be followed.
(b) If the patient's mouth is extremely painful, rinsing the mouth with a
local anesthetic, as prescribed by a physician, may be necessary.
(c) Mouthwash and other solutions which contain alcohol should not be
used for the patient with ulcerations as they are frequently very painful.
f. Unconscious Patients.
(1)
Oral care should be performed at least every four hours.
(2)
Oral suctioning may be required for the unconscious patient to prevent
aspiration.
(3) A soft toothbrush or gauze-padded tongue blade may be used to clean
the teeth and mouth.
(4) The patient should be positioned in the lateral position with the head
turned toward the side to provide for drainage and to prevent aspiration.
MD0905
3-9