Oral and nasal infection is the first way for most viruses and bacteria to enter the human body. In addition to the elderly and young children who are easily invaded by bacteria, the sequelae of cancer interventional therapy (such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy) may cause decreased saliva, dry mouth and immune compromise. If it is damaged, patients are also prone to bacterial infection. Let experts tell you the importance of cleaning and nursing the oral and nasal cavity in clinical practice and disinfection of the oral and nasal cavity.
Huang Maoshuan, director of the Dental Department of Shuanghe Hospital, pointed out that the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose is the first contact point of the human body when facing foreign germs. During the epidemic, everyone has developed the habit of wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and not touching the mouth and nose. Covid-19 In addition, influenza and enteroviruses can also invade the human body through the nose and mouth. If the amount of bacteria in the mouth and nose enters the respiratory tract, it may develop into pneumonia. Therefore, it is very important to protect the mouth and nose with daily cleaning and care.
3 major ethnic groups should pay special attention to oral and nasal health care
Dr. Huang Maoshuan pointed out that the nasal cavity and oral mucosa will secrete mucus, nasal water and saliva to clean, so as to achieve self-cleaning effect; for example, the oral environment will tend to be acidic following eating, and the secretion of saliva can balance the pH value and become neutral. It can cause problems such as bacterial growth and tooth decay. Therefore, the dry mouth or saliva is less, the self-purification ability of the oral cavity will be relatively low, and the occurrence of foreign bacterial infection and tooth decay is more likely to occur.
- Elderly and Cancer Treatment Patients – Decreased Salivary Gland Function
Decreased salivary gland function may cause symptoms such as dry mouth and decreased saliva. In addition to head and neck cancer, it may occur following cancer treatment. Human aging and hormonal changes following menopause and menopause will also cause decreased saliva, which in turn increases the chance of tooth decay and infection in the elderly. . - Patients with systemic diseases – weak immunity and resistance
Patients with some systemic diseases (such asdiabetes、dialysis) requires long-term use of drugs, and some chronic disease drugs will also reduce saliva secretion. In addition, the immunity and resistance of patients with diabetes and dialysis are weaker than ordinary people. Special attention should be paid to daily oral and nasal cleaning and care to avoid infection. - Children – low self-protection and resistance
It is difficult for children to protect themselves in behavior. They often cannot wear masks, and it is difficult to maintain social distance when playing. They will face more sources of infection. In addition, the respiratory and immune systems are still developing, and their resistance is weak. Therefore, It is important to help children clean and protect their nose and mouth.
Daily oral care to avoid oral epidemics and periodontal disease
Dr. Huang Maoshuan explained that the oral care status can be seen from the dental caries index (DMFT). At present, the domestic 12-year-old DMFT is regarding 2.0, which is lower than before, but still higher than the global average of 1.67.
However, thanks to the efforts of parents for children’s oral health, the prevalence of tooth decay for 0-6 year olds has dropped from 70-80% in the past to 60-70%. Fluorine increases protection and other care, can avoid bacteria caused byTooth decay,Tartar,periodontal disease。
There are many choices of oral care products, and medicinal mouthwashes should not be used for a long time
Physician Huang Maoshuan said: “Chlorhexidine (chlorhexidine) mouthwash is used clinically, and patients are allowed to rinse their mouths for two minutes before diagnosis and treatment. Because of its drug content, it is not recommended for short-term use during consultation and following surgery. People use it for a long time on a daily basis.”
The general public recommends using fluoride-containing mouthwash to prevent tooth decay, or some non-drug, antibacterial oral sprays, ionized water, and artificial saliva to maintain oral moisture and strengthen daily oral care.
Caregivers must learn!3 Key Points of Oral Cleaning, Taking Care of the Health of Elders and Children
Dr. Huang Maoshuan said: “The daily oral cleaning of the elderly and children can best be done by themselves. If the children or the elderly are not flexible enough to brush by themselves, the caregiver should assist in cleaning and observe whether there are any abnormalities, such as tooth decay, cavities, etc. pain, tongueheadache, mucosal ulcers and other problems should seek medical assistance. “
- Brush your teeth well:
Brush at least twice a day. After brushing, brush your teeth when you go to bed and when you wake up. The plaque in the mouth must be cleaned with mechanical force. Use toothbrush, dental floss, and interdental brush to remove plaque to avoid acidification of the oral environment. If there is activity Dentures should be removed and cleaned to avoid dirt accumulation. - To use mouthwash:
Choose mouthwashes according to your needs. Medicated mouthwashes cannot be used for a long time. You can choose fluoride-containing mouthwashes to avoid tooth decay or mouthwashes that protect mucous membranes. - Keep your mouth moist:
If the elders have dry mouth or are exposed to many pathogens outside, they can use salivary gland massage, artificial saliva, etc., or use oral spray type spray regularly to maintain the moisture in the oral cavity, so that the oral mucosa can continue to produce self-cleaning effect, thereby reducing The route of transmission of germs in the oral cavity to achieve the purpose of preventing infection. In addition, choosing an oral spray product that has no medicinal properties but has a physical antibacterial effect can not only reduce the irritation of the drug to the mucous membrane, but also achieve the purpose of preventing tooth decay.
Finally, he reminded that oral hygiene is very important for the elderly. If it is not cleaned properly, if the plaque in the mouth falls into the trachea, it may cause aspiration pneumonia and induce further infection. It is necessary to use toothbrushes, interdental brushes, dental floss and mouthwash to clean the mouth every day, and maintain the self-purification mechanism of the oral and nasal mucosa to reduce the spread of germs in order to maintain health.
Text/Zhao Yizheng, Photos/Yang Shaochu, He Yiting
Further reading:
Not just the new crown!Influenza and enterovirus are still a threat, experts: pay attention to mouth and nasal cleaning
Worried regarding the slow growth and development of allergic children?Strengthen respiratory protection, keep growing, and learn effectively
Five-stage anti-epidemic treatment, Chinese medicine practitioners and nutrition experts teach you how to use herbal ingredients to boost immunity? !
