My mother in law with alzheimers uses too much toothpase, will swallowing some harm her?
2 answers
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Last updated: Oct 01, 2011
Q
Five months ago we moved my MIL with AL in with us , her teeth were brown and I mean brown due to not brushing . ok we got her a new tooth brush and mentioned she needed to brush . She started brushing but now she is going crazy with the brushing , I'm going through threw a large tube of tooth paste a week . I'm pleased she is bushing but I'm worried she may get sick from so much tooth paste as I don't know if she is swallowing some the the paste or not , so will this harm her ?
A
Jennifer Serafin, N.P. is a registered nurse and geriatric nurse practitioner at the Jewish Homes for the Aged in San Francisco.
Swallowing toothpaste is not healthy, as many brands have strong chemicals in them to whiten teeth. Also, fluoride is added to strengthen teeth, but it can be harmful if swallowed in high quantities.
What I would recommend is to either take away the toothpaste all together and have her brush with just plain water, or buy a children's tooth paste that is safe to swallow. That way, you don't have to worry. Hope this helps!
More Answers
Thanks Jennifer I will try that , I just didn't want to tell her not to brush as she might stop brushing all together . Gabby
