What are some tips to get my loved one remove his teeth for cleaning?
My husband has started to refuse to take out his false teeth for cleaning. It was a week this time he kept them without cleaning them. I tried coaxing him and explaining & I knew that it would take more. I tried to get him see I was taking mine out to clean them. Nothing seemed to convince him. I tried to take the lower set out thinking he’d forgotten how to remove them but that was a mistake. He bit down on my finger.
Hello, and thanks for being here with our community. I am thinking of you as you navigate denture cleaning and caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. If you haven't already, you could try using a reward system. For example, if you/we clean our teeth, then we can take a drive or have a special treat. Another thought is to check in with your dentist to learn if they have suggestions for cleaning. Would your husband be able to rinse with mouthwash? Rinsing with mouthwash might be an alternative until he has more cooperative moments/days. I found an article on our site that could provide further insight into oral care. Caregiver Tips: The Case for Oral Hygiene | AlzheimersDisease.net. Please keep in touch about how things are going. We are always here, and we care. Respectfully, Nancy Alzheimersdisease.net Team Member here is the link. Thank you, Nancy https://alzheimersdisease.net/living/caregiver-tips-for-oral-hygiene Well Nancy, he just up and took his teeth out. I think they got to hurting him so he decided he wanted to clean them out. I helped him get the cleanser and clean them real good. I tried the listErine and that worked too. I was afraid he would swallow it, but he knew how to gargle. Thank you for all the help.
My person also has removable bottom teeth, and they are the bane of my existence sometimes because not only does she forget where they are, some days she even forgets they exist. Keeps saying she needs to go to the dentist to get bottom teeth and doesn't believe me when I say you have them! It leads to some funny moments and also some not so funny ones! You are not alone! Keep on keepin' on, DPM 
Happy that you were able to help him clean them out and clean them with the antiseptic. We are still able to get our loved one to gargle and spit thankfully. Scott Team member
