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My mom is stage 7c. She can no longer find the bathroom or operate a faucet and doesn't respond to shower instructions from her aid. Im seeing this as a sign that the traditional dentist visit may no longer work. Anyone go through this? How did you arrange in home dental visits. Ive moved to a pallative care model but id like to maintain some modicum of preventative dental care for as long as possible

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Has your mom had ongoing issues with her teeth that makes you want to get continued care for them? Or is this just for her twice a year cleaning and such?
If it's the latter there has to come a point when dealing with a person in late stages of dementia that you just have to say enough is enough and I'm not going to continue to put them through anymore needless doctors/dentist appointments just to make myself feel like I'm doing what I'm supposedly supposed to.
This now has to be about what is best for your mom and not you. I'm just saying.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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lealonnie1 May 11, 2026
Amen. As needed on an emergency basis only.
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The trip charge alone for the travel dentist to see mom in MC was $240. To have a tooth pulled was over $1000.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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If Mom can no longer brush her teeth, then the aide does it. I had an aide at LTC said Mom was not brushing her teeth. I asked if she put the toothpaste on the brush and handed it to her. I got those "deer stuck in the headlight" eyes. (so that meant no) I had my Mom 2 yrs and I figured that out.

When Mom can't do it anymore, then you have to do it for her. Aide needs to take her to the bathroom every 2 hours. And stay with her. She now has to wipe her. The aide has to turn on the faucet and wash Moms hands for her. The aide does not give instructions for bath time. I did not ask Mom if she wanted a shower (answer would have been no) I told Mom, time for a shower. Took her into a warm bathroom and removed her clothes. Put a shower chair in the shower and sat her away from the spray. I suds her down and rinsed her off with a handheld sprayer. She did wash her own face with a washcloth and water. She had never used soap. I put a towel on the toilet seat , sat her down a dried her quickly. Then put fresh clothes on her. This is what the aide is being paid for. Your Mom is passed understanding instructions.

A dot of toothpaste is enough. If Mom tends to swallow it, (floride should not be swallowed) just water is better than nothing. There are disposeable sponges on sticks for brushing. I would say night-time is the time for a good brushing. Have some water near by, hope she understands spitting .

I think Dental care is not a priority in facilities.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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My mom's MC brings in a dentist on a regular basis. It seems to work well.
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Reply to JustAnon
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My wife is in a memory unit. I'm a retired dentist. I visit my wife usually every other day and I brush her teeth during that visit. Here's my routine: I have her sitting in a rollater close to the bathroom sink. I put on a head lamp and wash my hands. I use an electric brush ( a must ) that has bristles like a hand brush --not the circular kind. I use a sonicare which is pricey, but their are others out there. I use Aim toothpaste and because it's a gel it flows better over the teeth surfaces and it can be diluted with a bit of water for better flow. Don't make it too thin else it will drip off the bristles. With the head lamp on I put a dab of Aim gel on the bristles and have her bite her teeth together. I part her lips and with a back and forth motion move the vibrating bristles over the cheek side of her teeth doing top and bottom at the same time. I then have her open wide and get the lower teeth tongue side and then upper teeth tongue side. Sometimes it's a battle, some days better than others. I then give her a cup of water to swish around with and spit it out in a small tupper ware container which I empty in the sink. Lets face it--It's hard to brush another persons teeth standing in front of them. As a dentist I would have the patient laid way back in the dental chair with me at the top of the patient head--that would be ideal

I also floss her teeth, but first things first for you caretakers out there Also gently persist at first brushing the front teeth in a playful manner and then call it a day. This is a new activity that they need to get used to.
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Reply to luckyspouse
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I’ve recently stopped taking by husband to the dentist. He would not be capable of following instructions during the cleaning process. He normally ever has any cavities. Discussed this with my dentist and he agreed. He said to occasionally look in his mouth for anything suspicious using a flashlight.
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Reply to Shirls48
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Will she even be able to comply with instructions from a dentist though? In stage 7 the person may become hyperoral and clamp down on everything introduced to their mouth. If she can still tolerate brushing her teeth, or having it done for her, I'd stick to doing just that at home. You could always call the dentists office and make sure that things looked fine at her most recent visit.
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Reply to ElizabethY
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My husband is in late stage Alzheimer's as well. He is bed ridden and can no longer brush his teeth himself or perform any personal hygiene himself. He has periodontitis which is gum disease and it must be controlled. So now, I brush his teeth for him! It's a bit of a struggle as he tends to not want to open and often bites down on the brush! I make up a little brushing your teeth song and sign it in a soft, high voice as a distraction. It helps. I try to do this twice a day at minimum.

I don't know what will be next as the challenges certainly keep increasing and he is at home in my care. My family is all gone and friends are not coming much these days. Hospice comes but they are only here about 45 minutes. They do what is needed for his personal care, but I haven't asked about oral hygiene. I have some CNA help and they are great! I've learned a lot from them on how best to change and bathe him. They've learned about how to handle him and the quirks of our old home from me. I couldn't do all this without help and I'm hoping you have some too. Well wishes!
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