Hubby needs a tooth (maybe more than one) removed. At the moment he is not able to open his mouth more than about 1cm. Has anyone had experience with this? What happens when teeth deteriorate, how can they be mended?
I would appreciate any comments/advice.
Maddy
Maddy...I am having the same problem,hopefully we will get some answers,regards,Rollie
My dad had tooth extraction done before. I think the dentist had a tool which aids in opening the mouth and there's also an assistant to help during the procedure. We also made it a point to visit his dentist regularly for cleaning as his teeth deteriorated fast because it's not thoroughly used due to difficulty chewing. But we stopped the visits when he became lethargic so my mom made it a point to brush his teeth 3x a day and clean each tooth with moutwash using ear buds.
well done your mum. One of my bigger worries. We can clean pretty well at the moment, but although we pay for Denplan, our local 'private' dentist didnt seem to keen to see my wife. I dont really know what to do next if we have a problem
jmbb
Dental care has been a real problem and my husband has lost most of his teeth. The NHS dentist always refused to do the extractions and referred him to the local hospital. This was always very slow. On the advice of a friend who was a dentist, I asked our GP to refer him to the Community Dental Service. They have more time and are more helpful about trying to keep his remaining teeth. My husband can still open his mouth reasonably well but is inclined to clamp down hard on anything put in his mouth as I have found to my cost when trying to clean his teeth.
Good luck
Jo
Dear Maddy,
Yes, teeth are a real problem. It is access into the mouth that was difficult with my father as he too could not open it very much at all. Dad was in a home and they brought a dental hygienist round who recommended an electric tooth brush! I had been using a child's tooth brush and sensodyne, just cleaning the teeth and gums as best I could. We did not have a diagnosis yet. Well, in trying to do what I thought was the best, I did what they said and bought an electric tooth brush. It was an absolute disaster as the carers seemed to take even less care and time and seemingly just pushed the 'head' in through the small opening of his mouth, damaging the bottom front teeth and loosening them. It took me a while to actually work out what was happening and then I removed the electric gadget and brought back the child's tooth brush and would put a little bit of corsodyl paste on, sometimes, well at least once a day, to treat the swollen gums, to try to halt the decay and to clean the mouth. If i could not get the brush in, I put it on my finger and did those teeth and the gums I could reach. Needless to say, Dad's front teeth were loosened so much that eventually one just fell out. It was an absolute nightmare, they gave up trying to put his false teeth in properly but would just shove it in and of course, it got lost. It went missing for days, they even searched the laundry for them, eventually they were found in the folds of the mattress. I am so glad that he is not alive now, he suffered so much and I had to watch it and deal with such incompetent people.
Dear Nader
So sorry to hear about your dad's treatment. It's unforgivable to treat people like that, especially elderly and sick people. Fortunately he is in a better place now.
Take care, maddy
so sorry, a nightmare,
jmbb
Dear all thank you for all the replies.
We have now been referred to the local health clinic. The dentist there looks competent. Let's hope all goes well. I have always used an electric toothbrush on the outside and then with the motor turned off tried, not very successfully, to clean the inside. The dentist recommended to use "Dr barman's superbrush". I have ordered one from dentocare.co.uk. This triple headed brush should clean the teeth in one sweep.
Thanks again. Maddy
Dear Maddy and Jmbb,
Thank you for your replies. Yes it was awful, and they didn't bother to check the mattress until I threatened to go in the next morning and empty the bins! The tooth that came out came out in my hand, if I had not got it he probably would have swallowed it or choked. It was unbelievable. A
Thanks, but it raises the point in my mind, about whether my wife will end up in a home, will the decision be taken away from me, I really dont know.
Because of his complex needs my father has been referred by our dentist to the local Special Care Dental Service which has a clinic at our local Community Hospital, which is in Uckfield. I took him there last week and we saw a dentist who specialises in complex cases who was wonderful. I would certainly recommend that you ask your dentist for a referral to this service if you live in the UK.
My father's treatment is not decided upon yet, we have to go back to see the consultant, but I am very pleased to have been referred to a team that can help.
CONSIDERING LONG TERM CARE HEART BREAKING
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