Toothettes is a single-use disposable sponge attached to a stick. They are used for oral care in hospitals and long-term care settings. The toothette is also known by many other names, such as disposable swabs , cleaning sponges , swabs for oral care , foam , sponge toothette , swab mouth , and mouth swabstick .
Video Toothette
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Some, but not all, large companies that produce toothettes include SAGE Products, Dynarex, Medline Industries, and Halyard Health. There are a variety of teeth in the market, including scented teeth with teeth (toothpaste), teeth combined with sodium bicarbonate, teeth with suction swab system, untreated teeth, and lemon glycerin swabsticks. Toothettes has also been combined with additional oral hygiene products such as mouth moisturizers (eg biotene), perox-a-mint solution, and antiseptic oral solution.
Maps Toothette
The intended use
Toothpicks are intended to moisten and cleanse the food cavity of the mouth and thicken saliva associated with xerostomia (dry mouth). Most importantly, the use of toothettes is intended as an adjunct to other mouth care devices (toothbrushes and interdental cleansers) in hospitals and long-term care settings. This is particularly useful when treating the oral health of intubated and palliative care patients, and is recommended for individuals receiving radiation therapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, or immunosuppression. American Dental Association, approved Toothette Plus Oral Swab with Sodium Bicarbonate and Oral Dental Mouth Surgery System in May 2002, stating "Oral Oral Dental Surgery Oral Swab Plus System is accepted as an effective oral cleanser for individuals. who have difficulty practicing normal oral hygiene ".
Toothettes and foam swabs are effective for stimulating tissue between mouth care, and are used for patients who can not take care of their own oral health. Oral swabs are helpful when patients suffer from dirty mucositis, potentially arising from chemotherapy. This is because the oral swab can apply moisture to the oral cavity, thus calming the tissue. In addition, toothettes are indicated when tooth brushing is contraindicated, especially when the number of individual platelets is below 40000-50000 and when there is trouble accessing the oral cavity. It is also necessary to use oral swabs for oral care when an individual has thrombocytopenia to reduce the risk of exacerbated bleeding.
Abuse
Often education and oral health training is limited to health care and nursing assistance, leading to suboptimal mouth care for patients who depend on long-term care and hospital settings. The toothette is not accurately used in long-term care and hospital settings as a primary tool for oral care, and toothbrushes are rarely used Grap et al. found that nursing staff in the intensive care unit most often use toothettes and mouthwash as the primary means of oral care, especially for intubated patients. This is of concern because it is certain that tissues are not effective at removing oral biofilms, and toothbrushes are significantly better at promoting gum health and controlling oral biofilms. When the benefits of toothbrush and tooth compared, toothbrush is better to remove plaque from the oral cavity.
The current nursing practice of nursing staff in long-term care and hospital settings does not reflect evidence-based recommendations contained in the literature. The American Dental Association warns "[the toothette] does not replace the daily brushing and flossing to remove effective plaque from the teeth and, if possible, should be used in conjunction with brushing and flossing." In addition, the Nursing Oral Care Policy for the Health Care Corporation of St. Johns reflects the same perspective with a nursing alert stating: "toothettes is not recommended as a toothbrush replacement". Dalhousie University Report, Binding on oral care: Oral health resources for those who provide care for older adults, further warns that the tip of the dental sponge lacks the ability to remove oral biofilm mechanics from the teeth and gums because it is too soft. They further explained how toothbrushes work significantly better in promoting gum healing, and stated that "toothbrush is safe and effective for removing debris and plaques from all mouth tissues, including tongue, palate, cheeks and teeth".
Regularly effective oral biofilm control is a therapeutic intervention to reduce the risk of developing various systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and aspiration pneumonia due to poor oral hygiene. Therefore, it is important that hospital care policies and long-term care settings prevent the use of toothettes as a single tool for oral biofilm control. When used properly, tooth brushing and devices for interdental cleaning are well established tools for removal of plaque, and should be the primary oral care device used in hospitals and long-term care settings. The toothette can be used in addition to brushing and flossing to moisten and cleanse the oral cavity of food debris and thickened saliva associated with dry mouth.
Health risks
Toothettes, when used incorrectly, pose significant health risks. They are a choking hazard because the tip of the sponge can be detached and sucked during use. On September 22, 2015 the UK Board of Health Education outlawed sponge use in hospitals and long-term care because of the 800 safety incidents associated with its use, even resulting in the death of a patient in one case.
Problems surrounding lemon glycerine swabsticks
Initially glycerin glue swabs are used to help saliva production. However, it is noted that they cause irritation and enamel decalcification due to the acidity of the lemon. The combination of these factors causes dry mouth to recur, excluding initial reasons for its use. Due to its drying effect, swabs are also not effective in preventing dry lips. Therefore, the nursing mouth care policy for the St Johns Health Care Corporation recommends discontinuing the use of lemon glycerin salts for oral care because of side effects. Evidence of contraindications to the use of lemon glycerine swabstick for individuals suffering from dry mouth.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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