As a caregiver, you provide many services to your clients to help improve their health. Daily dental care is crucial to a client’s health because it helps avoid dental problems in the future. However, as you know, it’s not always easy for caregivers to take care of someone else’s teeth because you need to manage any mental, physical, and behavioral problems they may have on top of timing and planning.
Use our caregiver tips for daily dental health to make this process easier on yourself and to ensure your clients are comfortable.
Tell-Show-Do Method
Learning to trust someone can be difficult for some clients, and dental care can be frightening. Try implementing the tell-show-do method to address your client’s concerns for a dental care routine. This method helps clients become familiar with the dental care process to feel more comfortable.
For example, before showing the client how to brush their teeth, tell them about each step in detail, so they understand how you will help them. Next, let the client hold the toothbrush while you show them how you plan to help them. Finally, do the steps exactly as you explained so the process isn’t as frightening.
Choose a Comfortable Location
When you perform your dental care routine, you’re probably standing in the bathroom in front of the sink. When caring for a client’s dental health, you don’t need to confine yourselves to the bathroom. Choose a location that is comfortable for them to make the process easier, like the living or dining room.
Give Positive Encouragement
It’s essential that you show your clients you care for their health and their physical being. Positive encouragement through body language and a gentle voice can reinforce good behavior, and they’re less likely to fuss over the routine. You must also learn to be patient; the client must trust you before allowing you to care for their teeth.
Position Your Body Correctly
This caregiver tip for daily dental health is important. How you position your body when brushing a client’s teeth can help them relax and give you the proper angles to ensure you clean their teeth thoroughly. The safest way to brush someone else’s teeth is by sitting or standing behind them, so you can mimic the movements you would use to brush your teeth.
Visit the Dentist Regularly
Routinely visiting a medical dentist in Los Angelesis just as important for your clients and their oral hygiene as it is for you. Stay on top of brushing and flossing twice a day and schedule regular dental appointments. Prepare for these visits by having your client’s documentation, insurance information, and health history ready.
Remember to keep your client comfortable throughout the dental care routine to avoid hiccups. Adjusting to someone else doing your oral hygiene for you can be challenging, so be patient with them. Following this advice can impact your client’s quality of life because you’re helping them with a difficult task they couldn’t do themselves.