Brushing the teeth of a bedridden person and knowing the correct technique to do it, besides facilitating the work of the caregiver, is also very important to avoid the development of cavities and other problems of the mouth that can cause bleeding of the gums and worsen the general state of the patient.
It is advisable to brush your teeth after each meal and after using oral remedies such as tablets or syrups, for example, as food and some medicines facilitate the development of bacteria in the mouth. However, the recommended minimum is to brush your teeth in the morning and at night. In addition, a soft-bristled brush should be used to prevent injury to the gums of the bedridden person.
It takes only one person to brush the bedridden's teeth, but if the patient is able to brush his teeth, he should let him do as much as he can by giving only the support he needs to make him feel comfortable.
Watch the video to learn how to brush the teeth of a bedridden person:
Equipment needed to brush your teeth
The material needed to brush the teeth of a bedridden person includes:
- 1 soft bristle brush;
- 1 toothpaste suitable for the patient;
- 1 empty basin;
- 1 small towel.
If the patient does not have all the teeth or has a prosthesis that is not fixed, it may also be necessary to use a spatula with a sponge at the tip, or compresses, to replace the brush for cleaning the gums and cheeks, without hurting.
In addition, floss may also be used to remove larger residues before brushing the teeth, allowing for more thorough oral hygiene.
4 Steps to Brush the Teeth of a Bedridden Person
Before beginning the technique of brushing the teeth of the person in bed should sit the patient in the bed or lift the back with a cushion to avoid the risk of choking with toothpaste or saliva.
1. Place the towel on the patient's chest and the empty bowl on the lap, so that the person can throw away the briefcase if necessary.
2. Pour about 1 cm of toothpaste into the brush, which corresponds to the size of the fingernail.
3. Wash the patient's teeth on the outside, inside and above, not forgetting also to clean the cheeks and tongue.
4. Ask the patient to spit excess toothpaste into the bowl. However, even if one swallows the excess paste, there is no problem at all.
In cases where the patient does not have the ability to spit or have no teeth, the brushing technique should be done by replacing the brush with a spatula with a sponge at the tip and the toothpaste by a little antiseptic buccal such as Sepacol or Listerine, mixed in 1 glass of water.
How to Clean a Bedridden Person's Denture
To brush the teeth of a bedridden person should remove the denture from the patient's mouth and wash it with a brush with hard bristles and toothpaste to remove all the dirt. Then the denture should be passed through clean water and put back into the patient's mouth.
However, one must never forget to clean the patient's gums and cheeks with a spatula, a soft sponge on the tip, and a little antiseptic buccal diluted in 1 glass of water, before putting the prosthesis back in the patient's mouth .
During the night, if it is necessary to remove the denture, it should be placed inside a glass of clean water without adding any type of cleaning product or alcohol. Water should be changed every day to avoid the accumulation of microorganisms that can infect the teeth and cause problems in the mouth. Learn more about caring for your teeth.
If you are taking care of a bedridden person, see how to do other important care:
- How to become a bedridden person
- Exercises for bedridden people
- How to bathe in a bedridden person
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