Oral hygiene may easily be overlooked, but it's an important part of keeping an aging loved one comfortable and healthy. Here are a few oral hygiene tips for family caregivers.
Oral Care Basics
Oral care includes cleaning the mouth and gums and the teeth or dentures. Always be patient and explain what you are about to do. (The person who refuses to brush his teeth can swish and spit out a fluoridated mouthwash rinse.)
- Gather supplies: disposable gloves, a soft toothbrush, toothpaste or baking soda, warm water in a glass, dental floss, and a bowl.
- Bring the person to an upright position.
- If possible, allow the person to clean his or her own teeth. This should be done twice daily and after meals.
- Be sure the person can spit out water before allowing a sip. Use a water glass for rinsing.
- If necessary, ask the person to open his or her mouth. Gently brush the front and back teeth up and down.
- Rinse well by having the person sip water and spit into a bowl.
Oral Care for Someone Who Is Terminally Ill
If your doctor or nurse approves, use hydrogen peroxide diluted with mouthwash or a glycerin/water solution for mouth rinsing. Plain water is best for those who are very sensitive. Your pharmacist can give advice on a gentle mouthwash.
- Gather supplies: disposable gloves, Toothettes (foam mouth-swabs), mouthwash, warm water in a glass, and a bowl.
- Cleanse the mouth (roof, tongue, lips, and cheeks) with the disposable toothbrush.
- Swab the mouth with a Toothette dipped in water and repeat until the foam is gone.
- If the lips are dry, apply a light coat of Vaseline.
Denture Cleaning
- Remove the dentures from the mouth.
- Run them under water and soak them in cleaner in a denture cup.
- Rinse the person's mouth with water or mouthwash.
- Stimulate (massage) the gums with a very soft toothbrush.
- Return the dentures to the person's mouth.
NOTE: Even a person with dentures should have the soft tissues of the mouth checked regularly by a dentist.
Hi wrs, Thank you for your comment. Sorry to hear about your mother's condition. If you'd like, you can post your question to our Ask & Answer section, here: ( http://www.caring.com/ask ). Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
It's very difficult to get hospital staff to care for my mothers teeth when she has a hospital stay. And impossible to get any dental hygeine when she has had to have a stay at a rehabilitation / nurseing home center. Any Ideas on how to motivate them ( staff )? This another reason why she lives with me.
Hi towakigal, thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear you've been having trouble with your patient, that sounds very difficult. If you'd like, you can post a question to our Ask & Answer section, here: ( http://www.caring.com/ask ). Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
These suggestions are good for a patient who is cooperative. However, my patient is not capable of following even simple instructions with regards to brushing her teeth. She usually bites down on the toothbrush as if it were food, or gets angry thinking we are trying to hurt her when putting a toothbrush in her mouth. We give her sugarless chewing gum to help freshen her breath, but that does not help with dental hygiene. Any suggestions?
Here's one for you.........I have been told by Nursing Home aids that it is common to find the Alzheimer's patients with bad breath. So I have not thought that much about it until I just read you comments. I am certainly going to add the procedures you speak of to my nightly tooth brushing. I had been using Crest Mouth wash but stopped because my wife would swallow it.