Care Hame have lost dads top dentures!

leedsfan

Registered User
Apr 1, 2012
421
0
Hello everyone,

Once again I find myself turning to my fellow TPers for advice.

Eleven days ago the nursing home my Dad is in told me that they had lost his top denture. After an extensive search they were not found. The problem is they don't seem to have any urgency to do anything about it. I visit most days and when I ask it's a case of they are going to do something about it, but when I ask what usually happens in these cases they say it's never happened before, which I find incredible.

One of the few pleasures in life Dad has now is to enjoy his food. I have started to make a fuss as I think it's gone on for long enough. Dad cannot leave the home it would unsettle him, so unable to visit dentist/clinics etc. I am going to phone my own dentist later today see if he can suggest anything. Dad doesn't have a local dentist and i think his current dentures must be at least 8 years old.

The thought of him having to have new dentures is a real worry as I don't know if he'll tolerate being examined and then getting used to probably tighter fitting teeth.

The staff in Dads home are really lovely and I find myself torn once again between not wanting to create a huge fuss but I've got to watch out for my dad.

Anyone else had a similar thing happen. I'd really appreciate any advice, or maybe a kick up the you know what!

Jane
 

lin1

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
9,350
0
East Kent
Hello.
TBH I think the home should pay for replacement dentures.

Some areas have what I think is called a community dentist, they do home visits.
You may have dental line in your area, they should know if their is a community dentist , so should your own dentist

Mum put her dentures in a very safe place, so safe we only found half the set a couple of years after she died..
Mum actually did very well without them.
At first we only gave her softish food, cut crusts off bread then her gums hardened a bit and we found if we cut up her meat very fine and roast potatoes weren't to crispy she ate quite normally except for hard fruit like apples.

It would be lovely if his top dentures are found, I'm guessing a resident is now the new proud owner of a top set of dentures .

I hope you get this sorted satisfactorily soon,
 
Last edited:

joggyb

Registered User
Dec 1, 2014
119
0
Hello everyone,

Once again I find myself turning to my fellow TPers for advice.

Eleven days ago the nursing home my Dad is in told me that they had lost his top denture. After an extensive search they were not found. The problem is they don't seem to have any urgency to do anything about it. I visit most days and when I ask it's a case of they are going to do something about it, but when I ask what usually happens in these cases they say it's never happened before, which I find incredible.

One of the few pleasures in life Dad has now is to enjoy his food. I have started to make a fuss as I think it's gone on for long enough. Dad cannot leave the home it would unsettle him, so unable to visit dentist/clinics etc. I am going to phone my own dentist later today see if he can suggest anything. Dad doesn't have a local dentist and i think his current dentures must be at least 8 years old.

The thought of him having to have new dentures is a real worry as I don't know if he'll tolerate being examined and then getting used to probably tighter fitting teeth.

The staff in Dads home are really lovely and I find myself torn once again between not wanting to create a huge fuss but I've got to watch out for my dad.

Anyone else had a similar thing happen. I'd really appreciate any advice, or maybe a kick up the you know what!

Jane

My dad keeps taking out and losing his hearing aids - which he relies on completely, as he is stone deaf without them. Fortunately, the staff have always been very good and diligent about looking for them, and the loss has only been temporary(ish). Because the aids are small, and because he wanders a lot and also hides stuff, the staff have their work cut out to find them, so I'm impressed when they do!

Your dad's dentures are just as important, both practically - to enable him to eat - and for his morale, given that he really enjoys his food. You are right to kick up a (polite!) fuss and to ask the staff to look. I don't think that's out of order. The fact that they say 'it's never happened before' is neither here nor there. It's happening now, to your dad, who's under their care.

The home my dad is in is served by a local dentist, for those residents who can go there, but also by a mobile (private) dentist for those who can't. I'd ask your dad's home about their dentist(s) and see if someone can come out and see your dad. I'd be amazed and a little shocked if they can't arrange something. It's a pretty basic thing.
 

Ladybird23

Registered User
Feb 28, 2014
127
0
My Dad kept losing his glasses, they were lost for a couple of weeks and we kicked up a fuss and the home said they would pay for a new pair. Then they were found, but by then he had gone downhill so much that they were no good to him. Bless him.
 

Dustycat

Registered User
Jul 14, 2014
215
0
North East
It used to drive me to distraction with my Mum and her glasses. Most of the time they turned up but it used to annoy me that the carw home staff often didn't even notice she didn't have them on. Any searches for them were always half hearted. Good luck. Hopefully they will turn up in time. X
 

Chemmy

Registered User
Nov 7, 2011
7,589
0
Yorkshire
I'm not sure it's necessarily fair to blame the staff, tbh, unless you can be quite sure your dad never took them out himself. Residents with dementia are quite capable of losing things, often by an obsession of wrapping things in tissues which they - or others - then put in a bin....or down the toilet.

Specs were the problem with my mum. I ended up buying a bright pink pair - very distinctive so that no one else would be wearing them by mistake....and they lasted about two weeks.

I also resorted to wearing a cross-the-body bag as a makeup bag and a pair of my glasses went missing from a handbag when my back was turned. My mum regularly 'took' others residents belongings in a belief they were hers so there was no point in getting upset.

My MIL has two teeth left, due to a refusal to visit the dentist in recent years, thoroughly enjoys her food and has put on a stone in weight since she moved into the CH, so it can be worked around if necessary.
 

leedsfan

Registered User
Apr 1, 2012
421
0
Thanks everyone for your comments/thoughts.

I posted this in the wee hours of the morning as I just can't sleep, so have just retrieved the replies.

Dad never takes his teeth out. He is immobile, has to be hoisted everywhere so I can't imagine he could have simply removed them and put them somewhere, although I know other residents do just that. Also quite often some of the more active residents wander into his room so if Dads dentures where somewhere obvious they could have been picked up I suppose. Also as he has lost loads of weight recently due to his illness (VasD and prostate cancer), his dentures have loosened over time, but can be fixed with fixodent or the like. The staff are aware of this.

Having someone you love and care about so much who is very poorly and all you can do is visit as often as you can and look out for them. It is not the same as looking after him 24/7, I know because I've done that too. It's just difficult not to pick up on things. It can be a delicate path to tread.

I don't blame the staff, but I am disappointed with the current attitude and general lack of empathy or urgency.

Hopefully something will have transpired when I go tomorrow (Thurs) as two of the nurses are going to try and sort something out.

Thanks again for your thoughts, I'll report back tomorrow.

Jane x
 

Chemmy

Registered User
Nov 7, 2011
7,589
0
Yorkshire
Unless the dentist has the original impressions and is willing to make a new set which probably won't fit properly, I don't see what they can do.

I find I gag these days even if it's just an impression for single replacement crown, and more lately the plastic X-ray frame, so goodness knows how terrifying it would be for someone in your dad's condition to have something like that forced into their mouth.
 

leedsfan

Registered User
Apr 1, 2012
421
0
Just a quick update. A dentist is going to visit Dad in the NH next week. If Dad is ok with being examined he will try and sort him out with some new dentures. I think Dad will tolerate this as he keeps asking when he can have his teeth back bless him.

It will cost a fortune but he's so fed up with having to eat 'baby' mushed up food it will be worth every penny if it works. Going to be in the region of £150 plus the cost of the denture. I just hope the staff are a little more careful with where they put it at night. There is no way dad could have done anything with the lost one he is simply not capable.

Will let you know how he goes on. Thanks everyone for your replies.

Jane x