Oral Hygiene and Dysphagia —Care and Complications

In a recent online chat, John R. Ashford emphasized the importance of good oral hygiene to the overall health of dysphagia patients and infection control. Participant: If a participant were to remember or put into practice only one idea from your session, what would that one key takeaway be? John R. Ashford: Every patient must receive oral hygiene. Not just for social or hygiene reasons, but as a preventative for complicating illnesses. Participant: What is your recommendation on alternating solids with water (or other liquid consistency) as a means of helping oral hygiene? Ashford: Of course, rinsing after eating helps to carry away larger food particles and helps with superficial cleaning. It is useful but is not usually a part of an oral hygiene protocol. It is a good practice, but as we all know, it cannot replace brushing. Participant: If someone has xerostomia (dry mouth), should we consider him or her to be immune-deficient to some extent? Ashford: With hyposalivation there is a reduction in many properties found in saliva, including reduced immune factors. This is why it is important that some form of moisture be given to keep the mouth “turning over,” whether it is artificial saliva, water or other liquids. The immune properties cannot be added with these outside moisturizers, but they reduce the prospect of bacteria attaching to the oral surfaces. This is where some mouthwashes such as Chlorhexidine are beneficial. Participant: Is there a way to ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Dysphagia oral care oral hygiene Source Type: blogs