grinding her teeth

Roland

Registered User
Apr 3, 2008
7
0
bedfordshire
friend, retired dentist. says day time grinding is due to stress. shield can be used for night time grinding which is due to other illnesses and more serious. am trying ways of helping her relax. any ideas?
Chris has had AD for 10 yrs. her speech is jumbled up babble, one or two words occasionally like Yes, but no normal communication, head droops down on chest, unable to sit up unless propped up, immobile and dependant on hoist, hospital bed and ripple mattress, good appetite, fed mainly via finger food. recently started grinding her teeth in day and one crown has come off a back tooth but not in pain. rang dentist and expect a call back next week. tooth had had root treatment (nerve taken out) so shouldnt get infected.
roland
 

Sam Iam

Registered User
Sep 29, 2008
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WEST OF THE MOON
Hi Roland,
Is Chris in a special chair to help her to sit properly this might help her to stop grinding her teeth, there are chair's called Kirton Chair's and are for positioning people who have no ability to sit comfortably or remain in a chair due to loss of body tone
Or it might be she actually enjoys this feeling of grinding her teeth
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Roland, have you checked for pain? That's the most common cause of grinding.

Has Mary any sores, or 'nappy rash'? Perhaps you should ask for a visit from the GP, it may not be anything to do with her teeth.

Just a suggestion!:)
 

lin1

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
9,350
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East Kent
another reason, it could just be a habit. but you do need 2 check on the other reasons given first. also it could be an infection,mum bounces in bed a lot when she is or is becoming ill.
 

Roland

Registered User
Apr 3, 2008
7
0
bedfordshire
Thanks for all your suggestions. Sam - Chris sits in a recliner chair in the daytime plus a ripple cushion. I dont know what a Kirton Chair is but we are to have a visit from the wheel chair specialist in a fortnight. Perhaps she can help on this. The trouble is that Chris droops her head down onto her chest when the back of the chair is lifted up.
Hazel - someomne washes her bottom in the mornign and I do it at night. Looks fine to me. But may be worth getting District Nurses to come round; they may have suggestions.
Lin - no idea if she has an infection. I brush her teeth every evening and no probs are apparent. She chews well.
I feel a bit guiltly for having been on the computer for far too long a few times. Although she seems unaware of anything maybe she felt neglected. I think she said "Do you like me" out of the blue this afternoon, anyway it sounded a bit like that, a refrain she used to say a lot 2 - 3 yrs ago. I had decided to sit with her more and chat more, be proactive, try de-stress her. Of course I immediately answered when she said that. It upsets me to think she might be really fed up and feel unloved - if that's what the grinding means.... I had thought she was living in a quiet dream world.
 

Winnie Kjaer

Account Closed
Aug 14, 2009
2,011
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Devon
Hello Roland,

I had thought she was living in a quiet dream world.

I find this so interesting and love your decision to be more pro-active. It is so easy to presume your loved ones are either asleep or daydreaming, when in fact we really don't know what is going through their mind.

Do you have a laptop? could you sit with the laptop next to Chris. That way you can chat to her at the same time and perhaps involve her in some of the things you are doing. She may not answer, but she may understand you ae speaking to her, which in turn may comfort her.

My husband is a bit like you describe Chris. and I often think he is sleeping only to find him responding immediately when I put a drink to his lips. I therefore spend most of my time sitting next to him and chat about whatever I am doing on the computer. I do run out of conversation but at least I am there.

You sound a very caring person and Chris is lucky to have you.
Take care.
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
I had decided to sit with her more and chat more, be proactive, try de-stress her. Of course I immediately answered when she said that. It upsets me to think she might be really fed up and feel unloved - if that's what the grinding means.... I had thought she was living in a quiet dream world.

It's all too easy to assume that people with dementia are in a world of their own, and not aware of what is going on round them.

John's in a home, and watching people in the lounge, it's amazing how they perk up when someone goes to talk to them.

I had the same situation when John was at home, I used to go into my den to use my PC, and John hated it. I too bought a laptop, and he never minded me using it while he watched TV, as long as I talked to him and gave eye contact.

You're doing a good job, Roland.:)
 

Canadian Joanne

Registered User
Apr 8, 2005
17,710
0
70
Toronto, Canada
Roland,
My mother went through a teeth-grinding phase also. I can't remember now how long it lasted exactly, but it was a number of months.

She no longer does it but will clench her teeth when she gets excited and/or agitated.

I just remembered - another resident in Mum's home used to grind her teeth so loudly you could hear it from 10 feet away.