Assessment Inspect oral cavity, noting condition of:
• Mucous membrane.
• Gingiva.
• Teeth.
Evaluate dental hygiene status by noting presence of:
• Plaque or tarter.
• Gingivitis.
• Decayed, broken, filled, or missing teeth.
Assess for factors affecting dentition, such as:
• Infection and abscess.
• Orthodontic appliances.
• Bruxism.
• Medical conditions and/or treatments.
• Ability to perform oral hygiene.
Determine need for referral to dental provider.
Provision of Dental Care Assist with or provide oral care:
• Soft-bristled toothbrush.
• Flouridated paste with supervision if unable to spit.
• Manual or electric/battery toothbrushes.
• Performance of oral care twice daily, even if child is not eating by mouth.
Administer any ordered medication:
• Anti-infectives.
• Analgesics.
Provide appropriate diet:
• Nutritional, based on 2010 Dietary Guidelines.
• Limitation of sugar containing food and drink, especially between meals.
• Avoidance of hot and cold foods with dental sensitivity.
• Provision of adequate fluid intake.
Education and Home Care Aim at child and/or parent, as appropriate.
Instruct about or review proper oral care procedures.
Instruct about or review dietary aspects of oral health.
Explain importance of oral health care for this child.
Advise parent to have child use mouth guard for sports activities.
Educate on need to have dental home by 1 year.
Educate on need for preventive dental care every 6 months.
Refer to dental provider and other community resources, as needed.
children’s oral and overall health in the hospital and beyond. Luce and Sande (1983) iterated the vital need for nurses in ambulatory and acute care settings to incorporate oral health maintenance into the care of children based on the prevalence of children with poor oral health. The need was identified by nurses over 25 years ago and yet remains a largely unmet need today.
There is an identified gap in the literature, research-based or otherwise, dren in the hospital. Nursing research is needed in all areas pertaining to oral health care, including assessment of nurses’ knowledge of dental health, validation of screening tools for oral/dental health of children, implementation of effective oral health programs, alternative approaches to providing preventive education, and the current state of dental-nursing collaboration. Such research can assist pediatric nurses in providing desired best practice guidelines for oral health