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.
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 Hello, and how are you doing? I wanted to check in and see how things are going with your husband and his mouth hygiene. I hope things are continuing to go smoothly. If you would like, please keep us posted on any tips you might like to share with our community on your caregiving. We all learn from shared experiences. I am sending you a comforting hug. 💜🕊️ Best, Nancy
Alzheimersdisease.net Team Member
I just had oral surgery and I hate taking the partial in and out! It's painful and embarrassing. My teeth still hurt and I have lost weight because I actually quit eating all together. If someone tried to take out my partial I would bite them too! Not because I am mean just because I would feel threatened to have someone come at me when my mouth is in pain. I haven't been good at sharing with my family that I am on pain or that I am so hungry that I could eat an entire cheesecake! So part of the problem is my fault but I wish people could be more patient and understanding of my situation and not back me in a corner so often! Stop explaining and expecting so much from me all the time. Put things into pictures or keep things simple for me to understand! Give me something for pain before you start something that is going to take a long time and is going to hurt me. I don't need a long explanation! Few words, more pictures! More hugs! Less words! @Flowerpot @DonnaFa @PattyDay @ScottMatheny
