I have run into problems with Dental staff, mostly front desk and some back staff that have no idea of the need to adjust to the needs of a person with Dementia.
They have their routine which Is far to long time wise to expect a person with Dementia to sit patiently as most of us can. I find a two hour inspection far to long for me as I get antsy.
I have also found that as soon as you mention Dementia it' " Oh! I'll have to speak with the Dentist. Please call back." Right!! I know what will be the answer. " Sorry but we are not taking new patients right now" or " the Dentist said we can't break it into two appointments. So if he can't sit for that time then maybe you can arrange something with another place."
They advocate the importance of regular dental care as it will affect your whole well being if you don't care for your teeth so I guess it must not be the same rules for Dental care for the person with dementia. So frustrating. Different strokes for different folks.
So Jazzy reported this problem to the Alzheimer's society in our city and they are looking into an educational program for Dentists and staff.
I would like shorter appointments for him. Break it up into two shorter visits. He is used to two visits a year and still cares for his teeth. He brushes after each meal. Pretty good so far in that area. I know it won't last but for now it's good.
I was living in a town forty minutes away and called our dentist there and they will clean his teeth in July with no need for an inspection this year as he was their patient before. He is comfortable there and the two Dentists are a married couple and her stepfather died last year and had dementia so they understand his needs.
His memory, both short and long us going south but he still remembers me.
Jazzy, I'm sorry to hear that some dental staffs are not up to speed on dementia patients. My experiences with Larry's dentists and oral surgeons in NY and the Heartland were uniformly good--I simply can say that across the boards everyone was kind, patient, and sensitive to his needs.He had very good teeth (died at 89 and a half with a full head of hair and a mouthful of his own, natural teeth…lol…the aides couldn't believe it)…anyway, when he did need the occasional non-routine dental work, it all went very well. It seems to me that dental offices must have to deal with all kinds of people, from the very young (like scared, antsy little kids) to the very old (dementia, impaired mobility, etc. etc.). You would think they would have received some training regarding these issues while they were in school. If not, they certainly should have figured it out through their on the job experience.
It's a good thing that you helped instigate some employee education. Sounds like they need it.
Jazzy, Sorry to hear about your dental issues. That was always a concern for my husband. His teeth were horrible and because I had a relationship with the dentist (she knew him before dementia) she was sensitive to his needs. When he had a cleaning I only got the cleaning and nothing else. If he needed additional work, that was always a separate appointment. There was only one appointment where he had a lot of work done and it took a long time. He did have some bleeding afterwards but otherwise it was okay. I always felt that dental appointment were important despite the condition of his brain or his teeth. Good for you for getting some education going.
There are dentists that specialize in dementia. They visiting ALFs and NHs and bring portable operatory theaters with them. I suggest calling the LTC facilities and get names of dentists. These dentists may or may not have offices so not all of them will be able to serve the public.
Because of my move we had to get a new dentist here. They of course want X-rays, and extensive checking. That is why I moved him back to our old dental clinic where we lived before. He has no problem with his teeth just need reg cleaning but these guys want to make their bucks. He has lovely very healthy teeth.
There was a dental hygienist that was coming to the LTC but their were lots of complaints about her hurting the residents and the dentist she called in pulled teeth from a resident with our permission and his family say there was nothing wrong with the teeth. He just needed a cleaning. I don't know if they were or not in need of pulling but hurting them is un necessary.
She broke the machinery some how so now the LTC has to find the funds to replace it. He will be fine back at the former office. I just can't figure out why they couldn't make two appointments for him?
Our long-time dentist retired and the man who bought his practice just did not have the personality suitable for a dementia patient. I got another dentist's name from a geriatric care manager. The new dentist is great with my husband. A couple of years ago, the New York Times published an article about the poor dental hygiene in a lot of nursing homes. With that in mind, I get my husband's teeth cleaned three times a year, even though our dentist says his LTC facility is doing an OK job. Here is the link to the article:
About a two years ago, the younger half of our father/son dentistry office committed suicide....(I still can hardly believe that one) & his father just couldn't continue, closed up shop. We found a new dentist, Dan's first couple of visits were hard on him, took a lot of work/time. Turns out he had severe gum disease (which accounted for his horrible, horrible breath). It's been too long between visits because it's taken all this time for me to pay that bill in monthly payments (my cleaning was included also & x-rays for both of us). I've got to make an appointment for Dan first, then me. I've already determined not to go for all the extra things - cleaning only & filling if there is a cavity. My teeth are holding up, so the same goes for me. We liked the new dentist, he & his staff were very good with Dan, but he's also there to make money!! I hope he won't be offended when I tell him just the basics. If he is, guess I'll have to find another one.
I've realized that getting old, even without Alzheimer's in the picture, is expensive! Takes a lot more maintenance & repair....
The last time Art went in for cleaning was 5/2010. One of the caps on his bridge broke off and I was trying to see if there was a way to just fix that one. There wasn't but the dentist did not explain to me why and I got really pissed at him. He wanted to do all this expensive dental work that was not necessary. This despite the fact I explained he had Alzheimer's Disease so would be no big expensive dental work. He claimed he understood because his grandmother had it.
I took him to Geriatric Dental in Portland where they explained why the broken tooth on the bridge could not be fixed - I understood, that is all I needed to know. Last year I had to take him to a dentist here for an abscessed tooth. It was pulled to the cost of a $250.00 - included x-rays and with a new client and cash discount. He has another one where the tooth rotted underneath a crown - so there is just a black piece of tooth in the gum - no root. They wanted $150 to pull that little bit. They wanted as much to pull that little bit as the one with a root. Needless to say we have not gone back.
And they wonder why people don't get dental care? It is outrageous. I look for a dentist now and they all advertise about the fancy chairs, tv, piped in music, etc. - things I don't care about. The last time I went was in 12/2010 when I went to Mexico to get a crown the dentist up in Vancouver said I needed. $150 for the crown and x-ray of the tooth with a 1 day wait vs the $1000 or more the dentist in Vancouver wanted.
Jazzy - sounds like a good move to go back to your old one. 40 minute drive is really not that long when he is still able to travel. Plus, it gives you both some new scenery!
Mim, I don't see how the dentist would be offended by your asking for just the basics. I have turned some suggested treatments due to the high cost.
Also, has anyone had experience with an alarm system for dentures? My husband's LTC facility is offering to install a sensor on residents' dentures, with alarms at various places. A lot of people lose their dentures at meals so there will be an alarm near the door from the main dining room into the kitchen to prevent the dentures from going out with the uneaten food. I think there is an extra cost for this.
Sounds kind of weird to me, but I guess there is someone out there that will figure it out.
I googled it and this is the only thing that came up: http://www.google.com/patents/US20120176240
this is part of what it says: U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,795 discusses an RFID system for detection of lost dentures. However, the system uses a combination of a magnetic strip for detection and a close range RFID transponder for identification, wherein a magnetic detector sounds an alarm whenever a magnetic strip embedded in a denture is brought in its vicinity. The range of detection of the system is small (i.e., around 6 to 8 inches), however, and this small range of detection falls short of making a robust and seamless detection system in practical settings.
If someone has crowns or fillings, especially old ones, an annual checkup (every 6 months is better) is important. Fillings deteriorate over time (ones from the past 20 years last a lot longer) even if you take good care of my teeth. Most of my old fillings have been replaced with new fillings or caps. Teeth with caps are more vulnerable to having root canals. One routine visit with an x-ray caught a problem that was fixed with a crown, if it wasn't discovered I would have needed a root canal for that tooth. Most of my gold fillings (from college days, they were very cheap) have been replaced. The fillings held but small holes developed next to the fillings, since these were for keeping cavities they all resulted in crowns.
The bigger problem is build-up of plaque along the gum lines. Plaque can't be removed by brushing, you need a hygienist or dentist. Gums can get infected and recede. I remember my father needing cleaning 4 times a year (with each cleaning requiring 2 days) because he just couldn't brush properly, even with an electric toothbrush. His brush was always caked with a thick layer of toothpaste.
My FIL was a rural dentist. My wife remembers people calling up the house at 11pm because a tooth hurt, these people also refused to ever have their teeth examined. And they usually just wanted the teeth pulled. On occasion my FIL was paid in chickens (which was good because they would have to occasionally replace neighbors' chickens that were killed by their dog, but that is another story).
He bought his equipment in the early 60s and it lasted until his retirement, he was able to find repairmen who could fix it. That wasn't easy.
My dentist likes the new stuff. X-rays are now without film. Novocain shots are now without pain. Fillings are made of better material.
On observing my wife brush her teeth I think they are in good shape because of the electric tooth brush, it does much of the work for her despite her poor technique. These days my teeth are pretty clean at cleaning and she always needs some scaling work. This is a change for her from perfect checkups. For a few years her brushes wore away quickly, showing that she was pressing too hard, now after 3 months the brushes show little wear.
Dental work is expensive and, outside of 6-month checkups, dental insurance seems to pay a lot less than regular medical insurance. During college I had all of my dental work done at a college dental school. Very inexpensive and the work was really good (professors always review the work of students). The downside is that even simple procedures would take a very long time, the students simply not having the experience to work quickly. So this might be a solution for you but would probably beyond the patience of many of our spouses. Though it would be worth asking the dental school about the dementia issue.
So I don't have any other advice on paying for dental care.
I was speaking with a lady about coconut oil. She said she rubs it on her gums every night. Since doing it her visits to they hygienist has been: there is nothing for me to clean and your gums look healthy! Evidently another good use for coconut oil