Oral care (teeth brushing) concerns

[KDK]

Hi
I don't know if anyone can help but I am concerned about the state of my mum's teeth. She has advanced Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home. Bed bound and her food is pureed. It appears the care home aren't using a tooth brush because it makes her gums bleed and I gather it is also difficult to clean her teeth due to the advanced Alzheimer's. It appears they are using wet wipes! I have made a complaint today and am waiting for a response but wondered if anyone has any advice or experience of this situation? Thank you very much.

 

[Grannie G]

Hello @KDK

Here is advice from the Alzheimer`s Society. I hope it helps.

Dental and mouth care

Healthy teeth and gums are important to living well. For someone with dementia, taking care of their teeth and gums can become increasingly difficult.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

I suppose this is one time when having dentures makes oral care easier.

 

[Louise7]

Hello @KDK sorry to hear about your mum's teeth. My mum is in a nursing home and on a soft diet and staff are managing to brush her teeth using a very soft, small headed toothbrush that I provided. She is complaint with her care though, and probably not quite as advanced as your mum, and I think it would be not so easy to manage if she was resisting. Not sure if this helps, but hopefully a chat with the care home manager will be productive.

 

[northumbrian_k]

Getting a person with dementia to clean their teeth or have them cleaned by someone else can be a problem. My wife had an electric toothbrush but forgot how to use it. The staff in her home do try to clean her teeth with a manual brush but are not always successful.

It could be an issue of gum health rather than teeth as such. But getting a person with dementia to use mouthwash ...

Speaking informally to a senior carer or the manager is often the best way to agree what can be tried if there are any issues of personal care. This may need to be a compromise between what is desirable and what is practicable.