The health of the teeth, the mouth, and the surrounding craniofacial structures is central to your overall health and well-being. Oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions include dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral and facial pain, and xerostomia (dry mouth), etc. And there’s evidence that definite connections exist between oral hygiene and the health of the rest of your body. Therefore, oral care plays a vital role in and has far-reaching effects on your health, especially for patients in the ICU, which may greatly decrease the possibility of oral infections and inflammations. Studies have shown that oral care is directly related to the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and that patients who develop VAP have to stay at hospitals for extended days and suffer great pains.

The traditional oral care can effectively remove plaque, but it is difficult to thoroughly clean the tooth surface, teeth, tongue and throat of patients with transoral tracheal intubation due to the blockage of the cannula and dental pads, especially for patients with a large amount of thick sputum, and sputum crusts will form on the tooth surface and tongue, which must be repeatedly wiped with many cotton balls repeatedly.
In addition, an oral care package should be prepared for comatose patients with a large amount of pus sputum, teeth crevices, palate, throat and pneumothorax forming sputum crust to wipe clean them, or homemade materials can be prepared for patients with tracheal intubation, which consist of a vascular clamp, a package of small cotton balls (5-8), and sterile oral swabs. But the tracheal intubation is inside the oral cavity, so it’s impossible to wipe every corners in the mouth. And cotton balls soaked with physiological saline should not be too dry or too wet when wiping. It’s very time-consuming because a cotton ball has to be used out before wringing the next cotton ball. Small strength cannot wipe clean, and large strength can easily damage the oral mucosa and increase risk of infection.

Sponge mouth swabs, also known as toothette oral swab, are disposable oral care sponge swabs attached to a stick and can be used for unconscious patients in ICU. This kind of suction swab can be easily connected to standard suction lines and help remove plaque, debris and oral secretions. Its soft tip of is softer than a regular toothbrush, enabling patients to clean the mouth with comfort, so it’s a perfect alternative for patients who have limited hand mobility. In addition, a disposable oral swab can also be used to teach kids how to brush their teeth. It has so many pros such as possibility of simultaneous brushing, rinsing and suction; soft bristles to remove plaque while brushing; providing complete oral hygiene with suctioning for patients who may also suffer from mild, moderate or even severe oral dysfunction.