Oral Hygiene and Care Quiz

Oral Hygiene and Care for Various Health Conditions

• Risk factors for oral hygiene problems include inability to perform oral hygiene effectively, dehydration, presence of tubes, medications, trauma to the mouth, immunosuppression, age-related changes, unconsciousness, diabetes, and chemotherapy.
• For mucosal changes associated with aging and certain drugs, more frequent mouth care and anti-infective agents are recommended.
• For individuals with dryness and inflammation of the oral mucosa, increased hydration, more frequent mouth care, and water-soluble lubricants are advised.
• Those with stomatitis/xerostomia are recommended to practice gentle brushing and flossing, increase the frequency of oral hygiene, and apply water-soluble lubricants to lips, while avoiding alcohol, commercial mouthwash, and smoking.
• Caring for a client living with dementia involves assessing abilities, functional difficulties, and mouth, and using techniques like distraction, a two-person approach, and hand-over-hand technique for oral care.
• Unconscious clients are susceptible to drying of mucous-thickened saliva and require careful positioning, mouth cleaning, and monitoring of salivary secretions.
• Oral hygiene for the unconscious client involves cleaning the mouth using a brush or toothette every 2 hours and checking the policy for using chlorhexidine.
• Performing mouth care for the unconscious client or debilitated patient requires extra care due to the increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, dry inflamed oral mucosa, and the need to protect the airway.
• Older adults are at risk for poor oral hygiene due to factors such as edentulism, weakened periodontal membrane, chronic illnesses, ill-fitting dentures, weaker jaw muscles, age-related decline in saliva secretion, poor nutritional status, and limited access to dental care.
• Financial limitations, low income, and lack of transportation contribute to inadequate dental care for some older adults.
• The text includes questions related to meal assistance, dysphagia, and aspiration risk, with a focus on creating a safe environment and appropriate actions for clients.
• The questions also cover the purpose of examining the oral cavity for pocketing, appropriate nurse responses to client requests, and specific actions to take prior to feeding a client with dysphagia.