My mother’s been grinding her teeth with a fury for almost a year now. She’s bedridden and in late stage Lewy Body Alzheimer’s. We’ve tried Klonopen which hasn’t helped much. The best thing that works for a few minutes at a time is a ritz cracker of all things. A straw is somewhat useful but she sucks in air. Any other suggestions???? She has some good days here and there but the bad ones are ahhhhhh
I think that some people with dementia experience "pain" differently than they did when their brains were working.
There were a few times when I though that my Husband should have expressed pain and he showed no reaction. (although he always had a VERY high threshold for pain)
I don't know if this is true for all. I know reading some posts here where the person says they are in pain I wonder if this is not just out of habit in some cases, they have been complaining about pain for years so it continues.
If you can get a swab into her mouth Oil of Clove will help nerve pain in teeth. I have used it before I could get to a dentist when I needed a root canal.
Not sure if they still sell it but there is the gum numbing oral ointment, I know it is not recommended to be used for teething but I would work on an adult.
I made the decision not to have dental work done on my Husband for several reasons.
1. He would have to go under anesthesia and I did not want that.
2. I would have had to deal with open wounds in his mouth and him not understanding why.
3. The gums did not look inflamed and he ate normally so it did not seem to effect him.
Ggood luck, that must feel awful for her and for you to watch it happen. Good luck.
Are there any other indications that she is in pain?
If this is a result of pain muscle relaxers will not work, medications for anxiety would not work they will just mask the outward appearance that is an indication of pain.
If you talk to her quietly will she stop grinding her teeth? If you give her something to do will she stop?
My Husband liked to chew on a blanket while he was awake. I know he would grind his teeth when he was sleeping. He was non verbal so facial expressions were the main thing I had to go by to gauge pain. He did make noises when he was chewing on the blanket so I would judge by his noise level if he was in pain. (he would make mumbling sounds, moaning sounds and other noises but no words)
I did try other things for him to chew. I tried Baby Teething rings of various types. Crazy as it sounds I tried different dog toys. You could try those. Popsicle's, Fudgesicle's, frozen fruit, frozen bread might work.
I would hesitate on the mouth guards unless you are sure that they could not slip out of place and become a choke hazard.
I appreciate this feature this forum has. I make comments on Yahoo articles (where it's especially easy to make a mistake because of the ridiculously small viewing area one has while typing!) and on YouTube, but neither website allows editing after the comment has been posted.
A friend of mine did that so furiously that it drove her boss nuts & demanded she get it seen to. So, after telling her family doctor about it he said he bet she was seriously in need of vitamin D. Sure enough, after a blood test, that’s was it. She had to take mega doses of vitamin D for a period of time and now is on a daily maintenance dose. Stopped the problem almost immediately! (Oh wait, now that I’ve typed all that I think her problem was chewing ice. Sheesh! Sorry.) We’ll, it’s kinda along the same thing so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have her doc check her labs.
Good luck!
Be careful with the muscle relaxants as they suppress respiration. I saw that you have tried klonopin(same for respiration)....I did too for my mom but it increased her dementia terribly!
Warm compresses 2-3 times a day, and incorporate gentle massage on her mandibles and scalenes. Good quality, PURE essential oils would be great here... go easy, they're potent.
Also, mix with a carrier oil like coconut. *lavender, valerian, geranium, roman chamomile, ylang-ylang, frankincense, juniper, peppermint... whatever helps her to relax.
Maybe mix up a small amount and let her massage it into her face herself, if she's able. It will not only add the oils, but give her something that diverts her focus.
Does she see a chiropractor? If so, mention this...often I find an adjustment helps.
Some other things are: maybe have her read, recite or sing, give her some passive mouth "exercises" to do. It will help relax her and keep her mouth too busy to grind. Put her brain on a different track.
Good luck dear, I know this is hard.
I am thinking it maybe time to pick your battles.
Yes her teeth may break, but how long does she have and will it matter.