Keep Others Smiling!

If you are a caregiver either for family members or for clients as part of your professional responsibility, this book is written especially for you. Toileting and bathing are usually perceived as vital components of daily personal care. However, daily oral care is often sidelined as unimportant. A dirty mouth can lead to painful infections which can spread throughout the body and create serious problems for individuals with acute or chronic medical conditions. The causes of oral diseases and measures useful in preventing their occurrence are reviewed. One key to preventing infections is daily thorough cleaning of the mouth. Average children will need help with daily oral hygiene until they are nine or ten years old. Individuals with physical or developmental challenges or who develop chronic health conditions may be partially self-sufficient but may always need some level of additional help. Simple, inexpensive modifications to oral care devices and routines are described. Some foster self-sufficiency while others make providing daily care more effective and easier for the caregiver.