Palliative Mouth Care : Dry Mouth (Xerostomia) : Management

Basic mouth care: Establish a regular oral care regime at least four times daily. Cleanse the mouth with a soft toothbrush, using a small amount of fluoride-based toothpaste for teeth. Floss the teeth, unless there is a risk of bleeding. Remove dentures and clean under running water. Rinse mouth with normal saline or water. Avoid alcohol-based mouth washes and glycerine swabs, as these dry the mouth. Keep the patient's favorite fluids accessible at all times (ice chips, warm tea, etc.) and encourage sips as frequently as possible. If the patient is unconscious, swab the mouth every one to two hours with water or normal saline, or spray with an atomizer. Gauze swabs or low suction can be used to remove excess water after rinses. Vaseline can be applied to protect the lips and can also be applied to the front teeth to decrease the uncomfortable sticking sensation.

Management of dry mouth

Helpful hints

Medications

References

Credits

Content for this flash card was provided by Pippa Hall, MD and Jay Lynch, RN; Curriculum Interchange Format CIF presentation methodology provided by Growth House, Inc.. For full credits click here.