There is ALWAYS something you can do... You can ALWAYS make a difference!

Last Thursday at the VA I saw a severely disabled patient who had several health complications. He only had two fingers on his left hand. He discussed the extreme difficulty he had with brushing his teeth due to this disability. Due to his numerous meds, he had severe xerostomia. Along with his xerostomia, he had a geographic tongue. The combination of these two conditions made it impossible for this patient to use toothpaste as it burned his mouth and tongue. After hearing all of the complications my patient was fighting, I was determined to do what I could to help! As he opened his mouth, I discovered severe plaque accumulation and bright red, raw tissues. To make a long story short, I decided to use a toothbrush and the rc polish with water to debride the teeth. After, I then hand scaled. Upon reflecting on the experience, I was grateful for the challenge to think "outside the box". I think it is very easy to get into 'routine' and forget to PERSONALIZE pt. treatment - today, however, I was forced to do so. It really opened my eyes and made me more aware of the need to find ways to personalize each patients treatment - not just severe cases. Everyone needs something a little different to be successful! All in all, lesson learned - there is ALWAYS something you can do to improve a patient's health. Some patient's baby steps are just as important as major goals of others.