Maintaining a healthy mouth helps prevent oral infections and dental disease. If left untreated, can lead to nutritional deficiencies and exacerbate wider health issues in the elderly.
For people who are dependent on others for personal care, mouth care is sometimes avoided, or not carried out effectively by care givers due to the difficulties involved in cleaning another person’s teeth. This is especially true if the person involved doesn’t understand what the carer is trying to do, or is unable or unwilling to cooperate in their oral care.
Providing oral care for dependent adults
Below is a guide to delivering oral care to a dependent adult in a way that is effective, and minimises any distress or discomfort.
To effectively provide oral care, try the following steps:
Step 1: Prepare your tools and products
Before you start, get all the products and tools you need ready. This may include a toothbrush or toothbrushes, toothpaste, denture cleaner, dry mouth gel and lip balm. You may also need a denture pot to store dentures in for cleaning.
Step 2: Approach the person and explain what you’re going to do
Start gently. People with dementia can be uncomfortable when you approach them, so it’s really important to take things slowly.
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Don’t rush
- Approach the person slowly
- Explain that you are brushing their teeth, and why
- Approach the person and stop at arm’s length. Try and put yourself at the person’s eye level. This may require you to crouch down
- This is particularly important for people with dementia, as they may have diminished peripheral vision, or in later stages of dementia, monocular vision. This means that approaching a person face-on may appear confrontational
- The person will also feel more comfortable, and is more likely to look and pay attention if you approach on their dominant side.
Step 3: Remove dentures
If the person wears dentures, the next step is to remove them.
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They may be able to do this themselves. If not, assist them by placing your hand over theirs and helping them remove the dentures
- Once they’ve been removed, place the dentures in a suitable container ready for cleaning.
Step 4: Brush their teeth
Take the toothbrush and toothpaste, and start brushing their teeth.
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Start by brushing the front outer surfaces, angling the bristles towards the gum margins, brushing two to three teeth at a time
- Don’t worry too much about how long you’re brushing for, or what brushing technique you’re using. Focus on the fact that you are brushing their teeth, and ensure that you’re not causing distress
- Check with the person if the pressure you’re using is okay
- To access the back of the mouth, you may need to ask the person to close a little
- If necessary, retract the cheek with the toothbrush to maintain visibility
- If the person is pursing their lips, it may be that they simply don’t realise what you’re doing. If so, place the back of the toothbrush on the top lips and twist it round. You should at least be able to brush the outer surfaces
- After brushing the outer surfaces, move the brush over the biting surfaces. This may require you to get the person to talk (or even sing!)
- If the person bites down on the toothbrush, gently stroke the cheek to encourage opening
- Next, brush the inner surfaces using short, back and forth movements
- Finish by asking, “How does that feel?”
Tip: If it’s not possible to clean all their teeth in one go, break the task down. For example, you could brush one side in the morning, and the other in the afternoon or evening.
Step 5: Cleaning dentures
It’s important to clean dentures to help keep mouths healthy. Plaque will stick to any hard surface so it will stick to dentures just as easily as it will stick to teeth.
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Fill a basin with water or put a flannel in the sink, so that if the denture is accidentally dropped, it isn’t damaged
- Just like teeth, dentures can be cleaned using a toothbrush, or you can use a denture cleaning brush. If you do use a toothbrush, make sure to use a different one than the one you’re using for toothbrushing
- A general soap or denture cleaning gel can be used. Do not use toothpaste, as this can scratch the surface, damaging the denture and potentially providing somewhere that bacteria can build up
- Brush all surfaces of the dentures, paying particular attention to any clasps
- If the person doesn’t have teeth, check their mouth for sores and make sure there aren’t any pockets of food left in the cheek areas. This is particularly important before bed to ensure that food debris doesn’t get inhaled.
When you’ve finished cleaning the denture, dry it thoroughly and replace it in the person’s mouth.
Caring for a dry mouth
As well as effectively cleaning their teeth and dentures, it can be important for the person’s comfort and health to ensure that their mouth isn’t too dry. A dry mouth can be uncomfortable, and even painful, and can be a side effect of numerous different medications, as well as an effect of wearing dentures.
If the dependent adult has a dry mouth, you can help improve their oral comfort and health by using specialist products.
Consider using a toothpaste that is SLS-free, such as Oralieve Ultra Mild Toothpaste. For dry or sore lips, apply Oralieve Lip Care, and apply Oralieve Moisturising Mouth Gel inside the mouth to keep the mouth hydrated and comfortable.
The importance of providing oral care
Oral hygiene is extremely important, both for oral health and overall health. By following the steps above, carers can provide effective oral care for dependent adults. This include making sure that their mouths are both clean and hydrated to help keep dependent adults healthy and make them more comfortable.
For more information and to watch in action, click here.
Delivering oral hygiene: a guide for carers
Maintaining a healthy mouth helps prevent oral infections and dental disease. If left untreated, can lead to nutritional deficiencies and exacerbate wider health issues in the elderly.
For people who are dependent on others for personal care, mouth care is sometimes avoided, or not carried out effectively by care givers due to the difficulties involved in cleaning another person’s teeth. This is especially true if the person involved doesn’t understand what the carer is trying to do, or is unable or unwilling to cooperate in their oral care.
Providing oral care for dependent adults
Below is a guide to delivering oral care to a dependent adult in a way that is effective, and minimises any distress or discomfort.
To effectively provide oral care, try the following steps:
Step 1: Prepare your tools and products
Before you start, get all the products and tools you need ready. This may include a toothbrush or toothbrushes, toothpaste, denture cleaner, dry mouth gel and lip balm. You may also need a denture pot to store dentures in for cleaning.
Step 2: Approach the person and explain what you’re going to do
Start gently. People with dementia can be uncomfortable when you approach them, so it’s really important to take things slowly.
Step 3: Remove dentures
If the person wears dentures, the next step is to remove them.
Step 4: Brush their teeth
Take the toothbrush and toothpaste, and start brushing their teeth.
Tip: If it’s not possible to clean all their teeth in one go, break the task down. For example, you could brush one side in the morning, and the other in the afternoon or evening.
Step 5: Cleaning dentures
It’s important to clean dentures to help keep mouths healthy. Plaque will stick to any hard surface so it will stick to dentures just as easily as it will stick to teeth.
When you’ve finished cleaning the denture, dry it thoroughly and replace it in the person’s mouth.
Caring for a dry mouth
As well as effectively cleaning their teeth and dentures, it can be important for the person’s comfort and health to ensure that their mouth isn’t too dry. A dry mouth can be uncomfortable, and even painful, and can be a side effect of numerous different medications, as well as an effect of wearing dentures.
If the dependent adult has a dry mouth, you can help improve their oral comfort and health by using specialist products.
Consider using a toothpaste that is SLS-free, such as Oralieve Ultra Mild Toothpaste. For dry or sore lips, apply Oralieve Lip Care, and apply Oralieve Moisturising Mouth Gel inside the mouth to keep the mouth hydrated and comfortable.
The importance of providing oral care
Oral hygiene is extremely important, both for oral health and overall health. By following the steps above, carers can provide effective oral care for dependent adults. This include making sure that their mouths are both clean and hydrated to help keep dependent adults healthy and make them more comfortable.
For more information and to watch in action, click here.