How can I help my wife with brushing her teeth?

Maintaining good oral health for persons with dementia is important but also very challenging to caregivers. This is true whether ones motor skills are compromised or not. Research has shown See also:
How to Talk to Someone With Dementia: New Insights

See all 680 questions about Dementia that oral disease is prevalent in adults with dementia for many reasons. If the patient is still functioning independently but has a moderate memory impairment, he or she might go into the bathroom but forget for what or when there, how to perform the brushing teeth task. It is also common for a patient to say, "I brushed my teeth already" when in reality he/she hadn't and the caregiver might accept that; this is the same with other ADL's(activities of daily living) like bathing or even eating. Chronic diseases and medications can negatively affect dental health and bacteria easily breeds in the mouth. Thus, despite any resistance or opposition, this task should be accomplished.

If your spouse's motor skills impair her ability to complete the task, then you may need to perform it with her in a step by step process. If possible, have her see what is being done and perhaps distract her by putting something soft in her hands (stuffed animal if appropriate). Then tell her as you perform each step. Patients even with advanced dementia can follow simple directions (i.e. open your mouth, rinse). However, if she is at a more advanced stage, you can help swab her mouth with Foam Oral Mouth Swabs. These can be obtained either from adaptive equipment websites or in specialized drug stores. This process, in addition to periodic visits to the dentist for routine cleaning, will contribute to better oral hygiene.

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Electric Toothbrush or maybe a water pick

http://www.consumersearch.com/electric-toothbrushes
or Another Website.

As always try and make the activity fun, and build up to it.

Tell them in 30 minutes were going to brush your teeth the In 15 minutes were going to brush your teeth Then again In 5 minutes were going to brush your teeth

Never surprise or force them to do anything, they might fight back because of the forcing.

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I agree, the electric tooth brush helps, I even let my Fathere pick out which brand he wanted to use so he had some buy into the process. I let him brush what he can and then I give it a going over again to cover what he misses, he's 86 Yrs old. I also increase the number cleaning appointments to the Dental Hygenist so they can do some good thorough cleaning more frequently. Hope this Helps Lancer in Tucson

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I substituted flossing for brushing and purchase those little plastic picks that have a small strand of floss already rigged up. That way I don't have to put my fingers all the way in (I've been bitten) or sometimes mom and I floss together and she will mimic my movements.

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