They would be willing to pay at least half to replace them. My dilemma is my mother is 96, in a wheelchair and would have to make a minimum of four visits to her dentist. I have discussed with dentist about how difficult it could be on my mom. She thinks it would be difficult for her to go through everything she'd have to go through at her age. And even if she went through it all I would bet they get lost again. So, what to do? I ask my mother and sometimes she wants to go for it and other times says it may be too much to go through. I just don't know what to do. She is eating pretty good without them. But still, it is a hardship for her. Any advice would be appreciated. It's not about the money. It's about putting her through more than she might be able to tolerate. Her dementia is getting more noticeably worse too.
My suggestion is just have your mother on purée & protein drinks like boost and ensure. Don’t bother dragging her around back and forth to dentist. My mother just turned 97 & unless dentist came to facility & they paid for them, I wouldn’t bother. My mother doesn’t let anyone else near her denture. When I was away in Florida for long weekend in January, I gave specific instructions in care plan for mouth care that I would do every night. Well, I called Nurse every night whether it was getting done. Not once was it done & used excuse that my mother wouldn’t let anyone near her denture. So, my advice is have her on purée and protein drinks. 🤗 hugs
Those who wear dentures, check into this to find out if there is such a thing.
Also there is a pin that you can use to pin an air tag to clothing. If I were putting it on a dementia patient, I'd fasten it to the back under the collar where they couldn't readily reach it to remove. Available on Amazon and Walmart.
Like many, I wear a mask when I go out and people often assume it’s for health reasons. While staying healthy is important, the truth is that it’s easier for me to eat without my dentures in. The bulk of plastic makes it harder to swallow when enjoying meals.
Despite not wearing my dentures often, my annual blood tests consistently show that I’m well nourished. I stick to soft foods, which I find easier to consume without the dentures.
In my opinion, it’s not about needing new dentures, but rather finding what works best for each individual. If your mother is comfortable without them, maybe she doesn’t need new dentures either.
Tell the facility you are going to do a room to room search and I’ll bet they find them.
This happened to my grandmother years ago. Someone came into her room and took her soaking dentures. I was then shown a drawer full of dentures to look through. There they were!
You’ve got nothing to lose to do this.
Residents also with bury their dentures in potted plants on the patios.
good luck
She is, believe it or not, doing okay. Obviously, she's not been able to eat everything, but she's able to eat. It's a matter of switching away from hard, chewy stuff towards softer foods and cutting things into bite-sized pieces. If your mother is doing fine and is reluctant to get dentures, then listen to her. If you notice weight loss, add nutritional drinks like Ensure, Boost, etc.
I know this sounds weird, but other posters hit it on the nose. It's actually going to be more grueling going through the process of getting fitted for dentures and such than going without them. If your mother's dementia is getting worse, she could suffer personality changes that make her difficult to deal with or incapable of following aftercare instructions, so you might go through the effort of getting dentures, only for your mother to not want to wear them or make dental visits difficult.
I would at least attempt to take her for a new set with her dentist. She how it goes, if the first couple visits do not go well, you can always discontinue doing any more.
Best wishes to you and your mom!!!
If she is getting company and not having teeth upset her, she can always put a face mask on and pretend she doesn't want to get sick
Is your mom eating well without the dentures? You say she is eating pretty good. But has she lost weight since they lost the dentures? If she has lost weight that might indicate that she may in fact need them.,
Is the facility helping by providing meals that have been minced for her or are they helping by cutting foods into smaller pieces?
A friend of mine, quite a bit younger has dentures but does not wear them and he has adapted quite well. Don't know if that is because of his age and he has been without teeth for a very long time.
Personally I would opt to not put her through the "torture" of getting fitted for new dentures. Making the mold, then the fitting and adjusting just might not be worth it all.