Dentures. No one likes them but chances are, your patients will have them. And they will have to be cleaned. So it pays to learn this skill well, because you will be doing it often in a clinical or residential setting. It’s not hard – CNAs don’t take dentures out or put them in – CNAs merely clean and store them for future use.
The important points are keeping the dentures from breaking and infection control. Glove use and lining the sink with a washcloth are critical checkpoints, but don’t forget to clean the mouth those dentures came out of, too! Remember, no two patients are the same and they won’t ALL have dentures. So, how do we know what we are supposed to do with each patient? Read the care plan!
See that little red button above the video? That is the care plan for the state exam. Click on it. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You are graded on reading and following the care plan – it counts big! This care plan tells us the patient has dentures in a cup that need to be cleaned, and needs mouth care. Since you – as a CNA – can’t decide what the patient needs, your job is to read and follow the care plan. So, this care plan is very specific and following it will count big for the exam. Always read and follow the care plan!
This video shows this skill demonstrated according to the specific testing care plan used by Prometric for the exam.