How to care for the mouth

Transcript

[Music plays]

[Text on screen] How to care for the mouth. caring@home.

>>Narrator (female voice over): In this video you will be shown how to clean a person’s mouth using a step-by-step process. Mouth care is especially important for a person who is not able to eat or drink as it will help their mouth to feel clean and moist.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Get the things you need

• A towel
• The tip sheet
• Mouth swabs
• Spray bottle with water or a saliva replacement product
• Washcloth
• Lip cream
• Cup of water
• Rubbish bag
• For dentures you will need a toothbrush and toothpaste

[Text on screen] 1.You need :

• Towel
• Tip sheet
• Mouth swabs
• Spray bottle (with water or saliva replacement product)
• Washcloth
• Lip cream
• Cup of water
• Rubbish bag
• For dentures – toothbrush and toothpaste

>>Narrator (female voice over): Wash your hands

[Text on screen] 2.Wash your hands.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Place the towel under the person’s chin to catch any drips

[Text on screen] 3.Place towel under chin.

>>Narrator (female voice over): If the person has dentures, you can take them out and clean them.

[Text on screen] Clean dentures.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Wet the mouth swab in the cup of water, and squeeze out any excess water. If you don’t have a mouth swab, you can use a washcloth over your finger– wet this by dipping it into the cup of water.

[Text on screen] 4. Wet swab / washcloth.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Gently open the mouth with one hand. Using your other hand, sweep the swab or washcloth over the lips and the front of the tongue to clean the front of the mouth.

[Text on screen] 5. Clean front of mouth.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Use a new mouth swab or new section of washcloth. Sweep the swab or the washcloth gently down the sides of the mouth between the cheek and the teeth and gums. Make sure you don’t go too far back into the mouth as this may cause the person to gag.

[Text on screen] 6. Clean sides of mouth. Don’t go too far back into the mouth.

>>Narrator (female voice over): If the person has dentures, they can be replaced now.

[Text on screen] Replace dentures.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Gently open the mouth and spray a small amount of liquid into the front of the mouth. This may be water or saliva spray.

[Text on screen] 7. Mouth spray.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Apply lip cream or balm to moisten the lips.

[Text on screen] 8. Apply cream to moisten lips.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Put the used mouth swabs in the rubbish bag. You can now remove the towel.

[Text on screen] 9. Place used mouth swabs in rubbish bag.

>>Narrator (female voice over): Wash your hands.

[Text on screen] 10. Wash your hands.

[Text on screen] caring@home. caringathomeproject.com.au

caring@home is funded by the Australian Government and led by Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative

[Music ends]

End of transcript