My husband has developed terrible bad breath. He brushes his teeth at least 2 times a day, with assistance. I even brush his tongue. however, even after just brushing I can smell his breath. Anyone else dealing with this problem.
I noticed this yesterday for the first time and had him eat an apple, which seemed to help. Didn't notice it today. He doesn't brush very well, but he's not at the point where he would accept any help or direction with it. He would not brush at all if I didn't take him back into the bathroom after breakfast, saying, Come on, let's go brush our teeth. I've learned not to ask him whether he's brushed; the answer is always yes.
He hasn't changed medication & we were just at the dentist for a cleaning. Granted he doesn't brush as well as previously. Never thought of Sinus drainage, but, his nose isn't running.
Maybe my DH's problem in sinus drainage. He used to complain about his sinuses every but hasn't for a long so I was assuming it was either okay or he had forgotten about it. I'm kind of leaning toward the latter because whenever we spoke to his sister on the phone she would complain about her sinuses or her stomach. Since she now has Alz. she never mentions either one.
Very well could be sinus but another thought...get little brushes that can be used between teeth. We had similar problem, the little brush with a gargle with hydrogen peroxide worked wonders.
i bought one of the rechargable water piks and fill it with warm water and take it into the shower - i use it on DH gums and flushes between the teeth and is faster and easier than flossing with dental floss. like everything else associated with AD even the water pik takes time to get them accustomed to but i have seen a good improvment in hygiene with it.. we both use it and it works well. divvi
My DH's breath is just awful. He, too, brushes twice a day but not the most thorough job. He also uses mouth wash. Can't figure it out. It's really bad. I'll look into the sinus drainage. Maybe that's it.
I posted on this shortly after I joined this site. Though my DW's oral hygiene was always impeccable, the bad breath that developed when her behavior got real bad was just awful. It was always worse right after she brushed her teeth. I finally noticed that even when her mouth was closed and she was breathing thru her nose she still had awful breath, maybe even worse. My belief is that the sense of smell is affected by ALZ and I think the bad breath is also related. As with everything else with this disease, likely not everyone is affected this way. Thenneck
Same with my DH. Horrible breath in the last couple of months. Oral hygiene habits have not deteriorated, so I don't think that's it. I also think it is just somehow related to AD. It is still there, even right after he brushes his teeth and his tongue.