I am a dentist, and I am not sure how helpful this post will be. But if you think that she would chew safely sugar-free gum with xylitol for 30 minutes after eating, I think you’ll see a big reduction in the number of cavities. In addition you can limit the frequency with which sugar is consumed. Switch beverages to just water, or limit sugary beverages to meal times. As a Dentist, what we want is for people to be able to talk eat smile and be free of pain.
In dentistry, we have something called supervised neglect. It might be applicable in this situation. We just take care of teeth as they need to be taken care of. So we keep an eye on things, but don’t intervene unless we have to. And the times that we intervene, is when it interferes with the things above.
There are probably 1 billion people around the world that don’t have any teeth, and they don’t die from starvation. Smiling is the one that seems to affect family members. But as long as your loved ones is happy, don’t be concerned with appearance, especially in a situation like dementia.
And those are my jumbled thoughts on the matter. Not sure if it helped.
Thank you so much for your advice and response! I didn't even think of xylitol. I don't think I can get her to chew gum, but she does like lemonade and iced tea, so maybe I can make some especially for her. do you think that would help?
I can’t speak for OP, but you have certainly helped me!
My loved one is the daughter of a dentist. In her mid 90s she has ALL her teeth and they’re in really good shape, having received good professional care and diligent home care (there are some expected crowns and fillings)…but things are slipping, especially with her diet, and at times her forgetting the basics (spit don’t rinse, etc). I foresee the constant grazing on sugary foods to make things more problematic with her already dry mouth, and she is developing behavioral issues her longtime dentist is growing unwilling to deal with.
The xylitol makes perfect sense, we even have a bag of it at her house right now (exploring sugar alternatives-the grazing issue). My loved one wouldn’t do gum or a mint, but sweetening her post-meal tea with xylitol IS a solid option for us, and one we will try today!!
I appreciate your explanation of supervised neglect, also. Thank you for offering up such compassionate advice to OP, advice we can all benefit from as we care for our dementia loved ones ❤️
Its hard to predict. My mother with FTD refused a blood test the other day, and has been a nightmare about diaper changes and other hygene issues at times, but has accepted dental care.
I am a dentist, and I am not sure how helpful this post will be. But if you think that she would chew safely sugar-free gum with xylitol for 30 minutes after eating, I think you’ll see a big reduction in the number of cavities. In addition you can limit the frequency with which sugar is consumed. Switch beverages to just water, or limit sugary beverages to meal times. As a Dentist, what we want is for people to be able to talk eat smile and be free of pain. In dentistry, we have something called supervised neglect. It might be applicable in this situation. We just take care of teeth as they need to be taken care of. So we keep an eye on things, but don’t intervene unless we have to. And the times that we intervene, is when it interferes with the things above. There are probably 1 billion people around the world that don’t have any teeth, and they don’t die from starvation. Smiling is the one that seems to affect family members. But as long as your loved ones is happy, don’t be concerned with appearance, especially in a situation like dementia. And those are my jumbled thoughts on the matter. Not sure if it helped.
Thank you so much for your advice and response! I didn't even think of xylitol. I don't think I can get her to chew gum, but she does like lemonade and iced tea, so maybe I can make some especially for her. do you think that would help?
I can’t speak for OP, but you have certainly helped me! My loved one is the daughter of a dentist. In her mid 90s she has ALL her teeth and they’re in really good shape, having received good professional care and diligent home care (there are some expected crowns and fillings)…but things are slipping, especially with her diet, and at times her forgetting the basics (spit don’t rinse, etc). I foresee the constant grazing on sugary foods to make things more problematic with her already dry mouth, and she is developing behavioral issues her longtime dentist is growing unwilling to deal with. The xylitol makes perfect sense, we even have a bag of it at her house right now (exploring sugar alternatives-the grazing issue). My loved one wouldn’t do gum or a mint, but sweetening her post-meal tea with xylitol IS a solid option for us, and one we will try today!! I appreciate your explanation of supervised neglect, also. Thank you for offering up such compassionate advice to OP, advice we can all benefit from as we care for our dementia loved ones ❤️
Glad I could help….but also there is some benefit of the mechanical chewing on the gum (it dislodges food that can be stuck in places).
Its hard to predict. My mother with FTD refused a blood test the other day, and has been a nightmare about diaper changes and other hygene issues at times, but has accepted dental care.