Any forum members have experience in, or knowledge of managing, or solutions to teeth grinding in Advanced late stage Alzheimer's. This is not a dental problem (community dentist has been consulted), and started approx 2 months ago. It is intermittent, but can be constant, and can appear quite aggressive i.e. loud and forceful. Mouth or teeth brace are not an option.
Teeth grinding in Advanced late-stage Alzheimer's.
- Thread starter deejay60
- Start date
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- Tags
- alzheimer's disease
Hello @deejay60
I would agree with @karaokePete . The GP may be able to prescribe something to help with anxiety.
It can be difficult to locate pain but if the GP is happy to prescribe paracetamol or a low dose pain patch, that may confirm whether or not pain is the reason for the grinding.
I would agree with @karaokePete . The GP may be able to prescribe something to help with anxiety.
It can be difficult to locate pain but if the GP is happy to prescribe paracetamol or a low dose pain patch, that may confirm whether or not pain is the reason for the grinding.
My mum started doing this in the very late stages of Alzheimer's. By this time mum had to be hoisted which was always a major cause of upset to her. Also having to be changed & cleaned on her bed which always caused her to shout out a lot. We therefore wondered if it had developed as a result of her anxiety over these things although as soon as they were finished mum had forgotten & was back to her genial self. The carers thought it was a possibility but like us weren't sure. Mum seemed unaware that she was grinding her teeth, even doing it whilst denying doing it! She was fed purée food so no chewing required but continued to grate her teeth between mouthfuls. We do not think it was due to being in pain, more a sign of agitation perhaps & it continued to the end of her life sadly.
Hello I am the caregiver for an older adult female (89yrs). She currently has Dementia w/Agitation and has been grinding her teeth for over 3-4 months. She has been to the dentist but there is nothing they can do. I am seeking any type of advice or ideas that can help me to maybe stop the grinding. Thank you in advance
Hello @Dixie@1 and welcome to Dementia Support Forum. Teeth grinding is quite common in people with dementia. The normal aids issued by dentists to help with this are just not suitable for people with dementia. The only thing would be if the persons doctor could prescribe some medication to help with the agitation but there is no guarantee that will work.
would a chewy help? something they could hold and gnaw on?
Hello SeaSwallow,
Thank you for your reply. The person is currently already taking medicine for "Agitation" and this is not working. I tried to give a FRUIT Filled Pacifier Frozen thinking it would cool the teeth but all she wanted to do was get the netting that was holding the fruit.
Well Thank You for your quick reply and if you hear of anything please keep me in mind.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday
Hi my wife has been grinding her teeth for over a year now and I have been chasing both the dental and Gp groups for something to help. After doing some research I came across some research using Botox to relax the muscles. Eventually I got her a referral to the Oral- Maxillofacial clinic and after several appointments the specialist agreed and Botox was administered and after a few days there was a really good improvement! Unfortunately we have had to wait 6 months for the next appointment (next month) and the grinding has been back for some weeks as the treatment has worn off. The specialist did warn us that the treatment would have to be repeated. This treatment doesn’t seem to be well known so ask your medical support to do some research. Good luck x
