Effective mouth care for seriously ill patients.

Mouth care is often given low priority by nurses, and carried out by junior or unqualified staff. Proper assessment of the oral cavity is vital; a well-planned, multidisciplinary, regularly evaluated approach to mouth care is essential. Nurses must be familiar with the most and least effective oral-care products, to ensure they deliver high-quality, evidence-based mouth care. Greater liaison with dental staff may help in achieving this.