Below:
• Dental hygiene still as important as ever
Note: This article has been localised for an Irish audience. With all of the difficulties facing people with Alzheimer's disease – not to mention their carers – oral hygiene may seem like a trivial issue. Getting a person clean and dressed is hard enough. Who has time to worry about a few cavities or slipping dentures? As it turns out, you do. Investing that time can be one of the most important things you do for your loved one. Dental hygiene still as important as ever Oral hygiene may often be overlooked, but it's a crucial part of keeping Alzheimer's patients as comfortable and healthy as possible. Older people in general tend to have dental problems that cause pain or make it hard to chew, swallow and speak. Such problems become even more common when a person forgets how to use a toothbrush or how to keep her dentures clean. And for Alzheimer's patients, dental trouble can actually be dangerous. A patient can easily choke if he can't chew properly. He may also have trouble getting enough nutritious food to eat and a shortfall in nutrition has the potential to hasten the progress of the disease. He could also suffer excruciating pain from cavities – pain that he might not be able to communicate. If a person still has teeth, make brushing a part of her daily routine. If she has forgotten how to brush, you can jog her memory by brushing your own teeth in front of her. You may also need to guide her hand while she brushes. If she has trouble gripping the brush, find one with an extra-thick handle. As the disease progresses, your loved one may not be able to recognise his toothbrush, let alone use it properly. Now it's your job to put that foreign object into his mouth without upsetting him. Pick a time of the day when he's most co-operative and move slowly and calmly. If he puts up too much of a fight, try again later. And if he refuses to unclench his teeth, clean the outsides; it's better than nothing at all. Flossing his teeth is also a good idea, if he doesn't mind. (Use the larger part of your hand to gently hold his mouth open, because if you have only a finger or two inside, you may get a painful bite if your loved one closes his jaw unexpectedly.) If the patient wears dentures, make sure they fit absolutely perfectly. Ill-fitting dentures can irritate the gums and interfere with chewing. And if dentures fit well, you may not have to fuss with adhesives. Dentures must be removed and cleaned every day. If you have never used dentures, talk to your loved one's dentist for advice and instructions. And be sure your loved one sees the dentist at least once a year to be checked for cavities. If these visits are difficult, ask for a referral to a geriatric dentistry specialist with experience caring for Alzheimer's patients. In the event that X-rays are needed, special examination techniques may be used; in addition, dentists are also more apt to pay attention to appropriate oral hygiene and to notice lesions that can cause pain and malnutrition.
Useful Resources Alzheimer Society of Ireland Alzheimer House 43 Northumberland Road Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin Telephone 01 284 6616 Fax 01 284 6030 Alzheimer National Helpline 1800 341341 www. alzheimer.ie West of Ireland Alzheimer Foundation Main Street Ballindine Co Mayo Telephone 094 936 4900 Fax 094 936 4946 www.westernalzheimer.ie Alzheimer Support Group / Dementia Support Group Highfield Hospital Group Swords Road Whitehall Dublin 9 Telephone 01 837 4444 Fax 01 837 9013 www.highfieldhospital.com This article has been revised by Vhihealthe for its audience and may contain, among other things, information or medical practices that are unique to Ireland. Neither Consumer Health Interactive nor the original author make any warranty as to the accuracy of the article as revised, and assume no responsibility for modified content.
First published May 18, 2004
Last updated February 14, 2007
Copyright © 2004 Consumer Health Interactive
|
