My husband picks and picks and picks at his teeth all day long. For several months things have been getting "caught" in one area of his mouth. Today he picked a chunk of filling out of one of the teeth. I'm getting him to the dentist tomorrow afternoon. Our dentist is on vacation, and the one filling in got us in as fast as they can.
I've warned them about the dementia. Here is hoping he cooperates.
I'm also wondering if that filling has been loose and moving around for months as well. The dentist didn't see anything the last time we went in for fillings, but I didn't know something real was wrong (if it was) and my husband can't answer questions.
Starling: I wish you luck with the Dentist...I take DH in for his Cleaning (every 3mo)..He has a partial, that should come out every night for cleaning..but he refuses...one night I found it in bed...another night it was on the floor, he must have taken it out...as you know, it was very expensive, I would hate to see one of us step on it......It is unbelievable what this Disease entails.....
starling let us know how the dentist appt goes. my DH went a couple of months ago for a checkup finally and we went for his gums. he bit the dentist as soon as he put his fingers in his mouth and wouldnt open his mouth up.. haha.. thank goodness it was a quick visit and he said baking soda to brush with gums to clear irritations up.. sigh. its never easy on any appts. good luck! divvi
My DH has a partial that is supposed to come out every night and put back in the next morning. These days I have to ask him at night to take it out and then in the morning remind him to put it back in. He looks at me as if he has never heard this request before!? At his next Dentist visit in a few weeks I will bring this up. At some point I guess it either stays in forever or stays out forever. This is one battle that I am getting tired of - even though he is very nice (mostly) about it - just very confused.....
It will get to the point that you have to help him take it out and help him put it in, if it is necessary for him to chew his feed properly. Some choose to leave it out if it is not necessary for chewing. We don't have this problem, so I can't advise you from experience. Hopefully, others can! Good luck!
Former soulmate, as Mary said, at this point you may have to do it for him. I did, and my DH was agreeable about it. It probably needs cleaning on a daily basis as well.
Although there are some things my husband remembers very well, every evening he goes into the bathroom, hands me the walker (the room is small), takes off his shoes and trousers, throws his Depends in the trash and sits on the toilet. EVERY EVENING. And every evening I have to prompt him: hand me the walker. Now take off your shoes, etc. You're going to have to do it with the partial. Not judgmentally, not "why don't you remember to take it out," just "let's get the partial out now".
I have to brush, floss (string and little brushes for large spaces) and help him rinse too...he cannot "spit" after he rinses...it takes forrrrrrreeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvveeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!!! So irrating!! I am NEVER to be in a hurry when we embark on this task of teeth, because it just won't work. I've been bit a few times and it is a hurt that you just don't ever want to have to feel!! We also go for cleanings every 3 mths and last time they had to use a plastic brace-thingy to hold open on side of his mouth while the hygenist scraped the other side...then switched (quickly) to the other side...almost did not get it done, but it worked! My DH has always had bad gums...Several years ago I didn't think I'd be able to do this, but, well, now it's just part of our life. Oh, and if I can't get him to open his mouth (he just "can't" get the idea of it sometimes), then we just DON'T BRUSH right then...we let it go & maybe do it another time during the day or before bed...the fussing at him DOES NOT WORK!! They just cannot do what they used to be able to do. :(
natsmom--when rinsing couuld you use a syringe orsomething similar to squirt the water around and he could just keep his mouth open to let the water run back out?
The original emergency appointment went well. We are going to our regular dentist on Friday to see what to do next. I'll point out that we almost certainly won't be able to do a crown, and that he will almost certainly pop the crown out with toothpicks if he tries to do one.
If they want to pull the tooth I'm going to let them try and do it. If a permanent filling can be done, we will go with that.
My DH has had many dental problems lately. Within the last 3 weeks, he has had a crown, an abscessed tooth and a root canal. Within the last 3 years he has had about $15000 worth of procedures. His insurance will run out soon as he has used it all up. It does not pay very much anyway. If the procedure costs 15000 they may pay 300. When he tells me he has something wrong with another tooth, as he just did, I feel like running out the door. I have to sit in the room with him, at his request during all dental appointments, including cleaning. Except for AD he is in good health at 72. Starling, he also uses toothpicks. I have tried to throw them all away.
I was at the dentist's today (DH is at daycare) and told him that I couldn't get DH to brush his teeth anymore. He sat down beside me and let the next patienct wait while he took time to have a cozy chat about the problem. (He's a Belgian.) I said I was considering getting home help in, but hated to do it because this teeth brushing is the only real problem we have with the daily hygiene. He said don't bother; the home help would not brush well anyway (I wasn't thinking fast enough to ask whether this was surmise or experience). He approved my daily apple 100% and suggested I bring him in every month or six weeks for cleaning. BAD is the diet coke that DH loves: the dentist said it would be better to avoid carbonated drinks. But that is one of the few no-sugar drinks that he likes. I am taking Siem in for cleaning tomorrow; hope I can get him there and that he cooperates. The dentist's main concern is not the bad breath (that is my concern, but is not too bad after the apple) but the danger of deterioration and losing the teeth. I think I'll go for the monthly cleaning; the insurance will probably protest although it would be cheaper in the long run to avoid the necessity for more serious dental work.
Jeanette - I have always heard an apple a day keeps the doctor away and part of that may mean dental. If one thinks about it, after eating an apple our teeth feel pretty clean. Right now that should be easy to get him to do - if you can find good apples. Washington famous Red Delicious use to be good but in their effort for perfect nobs and color they took the flavor out. Now they are trying to put the flavor back in. My favorites now are Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Pink Lady.
He said apples or other fruit are very cleansing. Also said if dh has something sweet to eat, follow it up with a piece of cheese to get the sugar out of the mouth. I forgot to ask about no-sugar gum which I have heard is also cleansing for the teeth. I keep it in my purse, but DH will not always chew it.