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Mouth care is an area in nursing that seems to have a low priority (Griffiths and Boyle, 1993). However the status of a seriously ill patient¡¦s mouth and oral mucous can influence several other functions such as the ability to eat, swallow food, digest food and even the ability to speak. All these processes can be affected by poor mouth care (Walton and Miller, 2001). ... It is therefore important that an oral status is formulated for the comfort and well being of the patient (Adams, 1996), as oral care is a very important nursing activity and is essential in providing comfort, preventing infection and maintaining the patients nutritional status (Holmes, 1996).
Mouth care is a vital aspect of patient care especially for the seriously ill patient as they are usually wholly dependant on others to provide it, oral hygiene and mouth care for this type of patient is clearly a nursing responsibility, so the intention of this essay is to explore this area of nursing practice in depth. Basic anatomy of the oral cavity and common oral problems will be examined; this area of care will also be applied to the critically ill patient to show the importance of oral hygiene to the unconscious or intubated patient. This essay will also examine what types of equipment may be used in the delivery of mouth care, what an oral assessment entails and how oral care may be implemented.
Anatomy of the Mouth
The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract and its function can be summarised as follows:-
„« Analysis of material before swallowing
„« Mechanical processing due to the actions of the teeth, tongue and palatal surfaces
„« Lubrication by mixing with mucus and salivary gland secretions
„« Limited digestion of Carbohydrates and lipids
(Martini, 2001 p853)
The oral cavity contains the tongue, teeth and gums; the oral cavity is lined by the oral mucosa which consists of stratified squamous epithelium. Other areas of the oral cavity are covered with a layer of keratinised cells and these areas are usually subjected to severe abrasion such as the surface of the tongue, parts of the hard palate and parts of the roof of the mouth. ... Candidiasis (Thrush) is a yeast like pathogenic fungus of which there is three main types, Perleche which appears as cuts on the lips and the corners of the mouth, Sub-acute thrush, this appears as loose flaky, cream coloured plaque and an inflamed red tongue and Chronic thrush identified by a swollen red tongue (Turner, 1996). ...
Other common oral problems that a nurse may encounter may include Halitosis (bad breath) which may be a result of food debris in the mouth, plague deposits, dirty dentures and damaged or diseased teeth. ... Xerostomia is dryness to the mouth due to the failure of the salivary glands; the salivary glands may fail for the following reasons, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and continuous use of oxygen or the presence of a nasogastric tube (Jones, 1998). Salvia substitutes, sipping water and mouth rinsing can help to alleviate this condition (Turner, 1996).
Mouth care assessment
It is important that a patient receives an oral assessment as soon as possible, making a baseline assessment allows a nurse to monitor the status of the oral cavity and the effectiveness of oral care can then be judged (Jones, 1998).
Approximate Word count = 2710
Approximate Pages = 10.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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