Oral and nasal infection is the first way that most viruses and bacteria enter the human body.In addition to the elderly and young children who are easily invaded by bacteria, the sequelae of interventional cancer therapy (such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy) can cause decreased saliva, dry mouth and immune compromise. If it is damaged, patients are also prone to bacterial infections. Let the experts explain to you the importance of cleaning and caring for the oral and nasal cavity in clinical practice and disinfecting the oral and nasal cavity.
Huang Maoshuan, director of the Department of Dentistry at Shuanghe Hospital, stressed that the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose is the human body’s first point of contact when faced with foreign germs. During the epidemic, everyone got used to it. to wear masks, wash your hands often and not touch your 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 airways, it can 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 particular attention to oral and nasal health care
Dr. Huang Maoshuan pointed out that the nasal cavity and oral mucosa secrete mucus, nasal water and saliva to clean, so as to achieve a self-cleaning effect; for example, the oral environment will tend to be acidic after eating and saliva secretion can balance the pH value and become neutral.It can cause problems such as bacterial growth and tooth decay. Therefore, dry mouth or saliva is less, the self-cleansing ability of the oral cavity will be relatively low, and foreign bacterial infections and tooth decay are more likely.
- Elderly and cancer patients – Decreased salivary gland function
Reduced salivary gland function can cause symptoms such as dry mouth and decreased saliva.In addition to head and neck cancer, it can occur after cancer treatment.Human aging and hormonal changes after menopause and menopause will also cause a decrease in saliva, which in turn increases the possibility of tooth decay and infections in the elderly. . - Patients with systemic diseases: weak immunity and resistance
Patients with some systemic diseases (such asdiabetes、dialysis) requires long-term use of medications, and some chronic disease medications also reduce saliva secretion. In addition, the immunity and resistance of patients with diabetes and dialysis are weaker than in normal people. Particular attention should be paid to daily oral and nasal cleaning and attention to avoid infection. - Children: low self-protection and resistance
It is difficult for children to protect themselves in behavior. Often they cannot wear masks and it is difficult to keep social distance while playing. They will have to deal with multiple 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 hygiene to avoid oral epidemics and periodontal diseases
Dr. Huang Maoshuan explained that the state of oral hygiene can be seen from the Dental Caries Index (DMFT) .Currently, the 12-year home DMFT is about 2.0, which is lower than before, but still higher. at the global average of 1.67.
However, thanks to the efforts of parents for children’s oral health, the prevalence of caries for children aged 0-6 has dropped from 70-80% in the past to 60-70%. Fluoride increases protection and other treatments. can avoid the bacteria caused byCaries,Tartar,periodontal disease。
There are many choices of oral hygiene products and medicinal mouthwashes should not be used for a long time
Doctor Huang Maoshuan said: “Chlorhexidine (chlorhexidine) mouthwash is used clinically and patients can rinse their mouth for two minutes before diagnosis and treatment. Due to its drug content, it is not recommended for use at short term during consultation and after surgery People use it for a long time on a daily basis.
The public recommends using fluoride-containing mouthwashes to prevent tooth decay, or some non-drug antibacterial oral sprays, ionized water, and artificial saliva to maintain oral moisture and strengthen daily oral hygiene.
Caregivers must learn! 3 key points of oral cleansing, take care of the health of the elderly and children
Dr. Huang Maoshuan said: “The daily oral cleaning of the elderly and children can best be done alone. If the children or the elderly are not flexible enough to brush themselves, the caregiver should help to clean and observe whether. there are anomalies, such as tooth decay, tooth decay, etc. pain, tongueheadache, mucosal ulcers and other problems should seek medical attention. “
- Brush your teeth well:
Brush your teeth at least twice a day. After brushing your teeth, 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 a brush, dental floss and interdental brush to remove plaque to avoid acidification of the oral environment. If there is activity Dentures must be removed and cleaned to avoid dirt accumulation. - To use the mouthwash:
Choose mouthwashes according to your needs. Medicated mouthwashes cannot be used for a long time. You can choose mouthwashes that contain fluoride to avoid tooth decay or mouthwashes that protect the mucous membranes. - Keep your mouth moist:
If the elderly have dry mouth or are exposed to many external pathogens, they can use salivary gland massage, artificial saliva, etc., or regularly use oral spray type sprays to keep moisture in the mouth, in so that the oral mucosa can continue to produce a self-cleaning effect, thus reducing the path of transmission of germs in the oral cavity to achieve the purpose of preventing infection. In addition, the choice of 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 fulfill the purpose of preventing tooth decay.
Finally, he recalled that oral hygiene is very important for the elderly: if cleaning is not good, plaque in the mouth can cause aspiration pneumonia and induce further infections if it falls into the trachea. It is necessary to use toothbrushes, interdental brushes, dental floss and mouthwash to clean the mouth every day, and to maintain the self-purification mechanism of the oral and nasal mucosa to reduce the spread of germs in order to stay healthy.
Text / Zhao Yizheng, Photos / Yang Shaochu, He Yiting
Further reading:
Not just the new corona! Influenza and enteroviruses are still a threat, experts: beware of cleaning your mouth and nose
Concerned about the slow growth and development of allergic children? Strengthen respiratory protection, continue to grow and learn effectively
Five-step anti-epidemic treatment, Chinese medicine professionals and nutrition experts teach you how to use herbal ingredients to boost immunity? !
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