My mom has PSP and we haven't been able to brush mom's teeth for the last 8 months. Due to lack of brushing, there is foul smell, cavities, bacteria, etc. She CAN'T gargle - We are afraid of rinsing her mouth with water as even if she accidentally swallows a drop or two, she chokes. She closes her mouth tightly so it's impossible to brush her teeth. She does open it at times. I was wondering if there is something that I can do to maintain some dental hygiene. I have a dental spray - not sure how much it helps. I have tried cleaning with suction swabs with betadine but that helps only with front teeth.
Please suggest what can be done.
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pankaj911
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My mum who has PSP also has this problem, her lovely teeth have turned brown. She is 86 and has all her own teeth, the carers aren't used to dealing with people with their own teeth. I have asked them to try to brush them with mum's electric toothbrush but I'm not sure that this is easy for them or mum. If there was something she could chew to clean them it might help, obviously not gum.
The only thing that worked for me near the end was oral swabs, basically soft foam pieces on a stick. Sometimes Barry couldn’t open his mouth wide enough for it to go very far in, though. But I dipped it in water or mouth rinse and sometimes put a tiny bit of toothpaste on it. It might not work for you bc it would drip unless you squeezed the liquid out first or used it dry. These were provided by hospice, by the way.
These are our experiences and thoughts about oral/dental Hygienie:
• Dentistry. As Kevin said: “Get as much dentistry done as possible. It is highly likely that your loved one will eventually have difficulty opening their mouth. If their teeth are good then you won't be facing full anaesthetics for a tooth extraction, or fillings”.
• Over time the cleaning of teeth with an electric brush becomes very difficult. Rinse the mouth is also a challenge presenting a tendency to swallow the liquid generating coughs and choking.
When the classic tooth cleaning system fails we have adopted a very soft bristle
brush (for surgery, brand VITIS) and a special toothpaste for the care of the gums
that produces little foam. To this paste without foam we add a little paste
containing Chlorhexidine.
To clean the mouth we have discarded the brushes that produce a jet of
water under pressure because, very often, they produce coughs and choking.
However there are other experiences like "Martina_MP's". She use “a Sonicare toothbrush with a tiny bit of toothpaste, and a countertop WaterPik, once a day after dinner. We use a big waterproof bib and hold a plastic basin under her chin. Despite swallowing problems with thin liquids at other times, she doesn't choke with the WaterPik, but she has used one for many years so she is used to it. It's great--in our case, indispensable--for rinsing out all the food debris that she can't clear, and for rinsing after brushing. Other times, for additional plaque control, I use the Sonicare with no paste, just dipped in water or mouthwash. If liquid collects in her mouth and she won't swallow, I wipe it out with a paper towel. Another product we use for plaque control is GUM Soft-Picks, which are used between the teeth. Those were recommended by a hygienist”.
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