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Improving oral care for hospitalised patients: choosing appropriate products

14 May 2020
International Nurses Day
02 May 2020
Volume 29 · Issue 9

Abstract

Background:

Oral care is a fundamental part of nursing but it is often performed as a routine task, often based on historic practice, and lacks an evidence base. A variety of oral care products are used in practice.

Aim:

To discover evidence of effective oral care products for use in hospitalised patients.

Design:

A systematic literature review was undertaken.

Methods:

A review of articles was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, the Cochrane Database and Google Scholar between 2007 and 2019. All articles were compared and contrasted and some excluded due to the quality of the evidence.

Discussion:

The literature review identified a number of oral care problems and investigated a range of products.

Results:

The main finding was that there is a need for a definitive, evidence-based oral care guideline on the products suitable for different oral care conditions, including dysphagia, xerostomia, mucositis, and for patients wearing dentures.

Oral hygiene is the care of the mouth, including the gums, teeth or dentures, tongue, inner cheeks and lips; and it is an integral and essential component of nursing care (Smith et al, 2017; Coker et al, 2017). Effective oral care cleanses and protects the mouth by removing debris, preventing the build-up of plaque, and minimising the risk of further complications (Costello and Coyne, 2008). Ineffective oral hygiene causes a build-up of plaque, leading to halitosis, decay and pain (Fitzpatrick, 2000). When the mouth is healthy, a symbiotic relationship exists between the mouth surfaces and oral microbes, which acts as a barrier to other harmful organisms. This barrier takes the form of a thin moist layer over the surface of the teeth, the tongue and gums, known as a biofilm. This can either protect the environment or, if the biofilm is allowed to build up, can create plaque and produce an environment suitable for the development of infections (Marsh, 2018).

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Literature review
Oral care
Evidence-based practice
Oral-care products
Xerostomia
Mucositis
Dysphagia
Dentures