My 90 year old Mom won’t keep her fingers out of her mouth and it’s unsanitary. She has dementia and claims there are strings in her mouth.

Is it possible she has a piece of food stuck at the back of her mouth. I have started having problems with things like bean husk/covering (what ever it is called), tomato skin, popcorn husk, corn husk/covering, etc. They will stick to the back of my mouth or slightly down in my throat where they can't be seen but are felt. I usually have to eat a piece of bread to remove it or gargle with my head leaned far back.

Time for a medication evaluation.

By any chance, could she be suffering from dry mouth? Sometimes dry mouth is caused by medications or if someone is a mouth breather while they sleep. Good mouth care may alleviate this as well as keeping her mouth moist. Glycerin swabs may be useful
.

Is your mom on any painkillers? I noticed my mom had an extra-sensory thing going on in her mouth each time she'd had morphine for her arthritis pain. She was convinced she hadn't brushed her teeth in weeks, even though I'd helped her 20 minutes before hand. I asked the doctor about it once when she was in the hospital after a fall and he told me morphine shouldn't have anything to do with it. We've since switched to CBD oil and I don't think she's had that sensation since. It might be something to think about. Good luck...I know how you feel!

There might be several reasons.
If she is using a toothpaste with Peroxide that can remove layers of skin from inside the mouth.
A toothpaste with fluoride can be harsh.
If she is using either I would switch to a toothpaste made for children or a "natural" toothpaste.
It might be bits of food left in her mouth. Drinking more fluids, water would be best. That would help flush the mouth.
If her fluids are thickened keep plenty on hand. And thickened liquids might be a cause. I would thicken up fluid for my Husband and once in a while there would be a clump left undissolved if that was not removed and he got it in his mouth it might seem to be a slimy stringy bit.

Try to keep mom's hands and nails clean.
but this should not be a major stressor in your life or hers.
You do not say if mom is at home or in a facility.
I would be less concerned if she is at home since you can more easily control her environment, if she is in a facility it is more difficult to control what she is doing and how well her hygiene is taken care of.

She is having sensory changes in her mouth. Try to get her to drink plenty of fluids, suck on hard candy, and chew gum - as long as she has intact swallow and no trouble eating. Otherwise, lemon-flavored glycerin swabs may help. Keeping her mind occupied and engaged in activities may decrease the attention to these changes.

So glad to see these answers. My 90 year old mom in AL does the same. She does use a toothpick then wipes it on her recliner. I put a clean linen napkin on that chair twice a week now to protect the chair, and replace the dirty toothpicks with clean ones (naturally in the exact spot). If mom were her old self she would be mortified by this. Just have to love her with these sometimes gross behaviors.

My mother (98) has the same complaint. She says she feels hair or fibers between her bottom teeth. I removed her partial and I flossed her remaining teeth but it was still there. My guess is hallucination from dementia. I'm relieved to know that she isn't the only one with this problem. She hasn't mentioned the hairs in the last couple visits, so maybe she has moved on.

Please do not be offended at my idea but it did work for me. If she can drink without a problem add some food coloring a couple of drops any color or her favorite color to some water and Tell her it’s the medical remedy that has worked for other seniors and that it dissolved oral strings overnight.

I believe the saying "pick your battles" applies here. There are some behaviours that, in spite of our best efforts, simply won't be changed. By all means try all the suggestions you receive, but a point may be reached at which nothing helps. If the latter is the case, then there are two possible outcomes: 1) the unwanted habit will turn out to be innocuous, causing no real harm even if it seems disgusting, or 2) it WILL prove harmful, and might shorten the life of an person who is already very old and suffering from dementia. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to accept that there are things beyond our control in spite of our best efforts.

What I believe she may be feeling is the “shedding” of skin some toothpastes cause after brushing. Try changing her toothpaste to a natural or less abrasive kind. My 85 year old mother can’t keep her fingers out of her mouth as well, she bites her nails, I’m so tired of telling her to stop.

If you get sponge sticks, swab between the cheeks and teeth, especially the back uppers where it is hard to reach.. swab her tongue, and under the tongue.. that may be pushing it, but it's worth a try..

The back upper teeth... I am having difficutly getting to that part of my mouth with my tooth brush... DOES EVERYTHING SAG? not sure,,, but now I wondering...

SPNGE STICKS SWAB THE GUMS UPPER AND LOWERS. BETWEEN GUM N CHEECKS. That may help.

If she understands... have her gargle with WARM SALT WATER...serioulsy

If you have that battery operated brush, make her hum a tune. (this may be pushing it)

The last time I took mom to dentist, she ended up having a seizure. The ER DOCTOR asked me why I was taking an 87 year old the to dentist?
It was my routine...She always took good care of her teeth... :(
I was shocked to hear that. IT WAS A MAJOR SEIZURE.

So, you take a sponge on a stick, swipe her mouth, and ask her if you got the string out...Is that better mom? Senior supply centers have these, along with some CVS OR WALGREENS, RITE AID STORES.
If you feel uncomfortable with that, put some baking soda on the brush and tell her to brush her teeth in front of you, or you do that to her... baking soda feels good after rinsing.. doesn't taste good, but it gets the job done.
I chipped my tooth when mom died.. won't go into detail of why.. but it bugged me so much.. Months later, my TONGUE got used to the feel of it..
Perhaps, her TONGUE feels something strange, and the only way she can explain is the strings... GLIDE FLOSS IS EASY... ask her if it's okay if you floss the teeth.. maybe that will help her.

I think CM, maybe on to something! Midkid too!
Take a look in her mouth.
Maybe dry mouth?
There is gum and spray available for dry mouth.
Even as a placebo, maybe try gum or spray and tell her it's the cure.
"Therapeutic fibbing " sometimes works!
God bless and best wishes!

My mom chews gum all day long. She says it stops heartburn, and maybe that's true---but she'll offer me a piece and I just..can't. Her hands are not the cleanest and while I don't fear she has the Coronovirus, I just don't know where those hands have been.

BTW, I NEVER saw her chew gum before the last year or so...she said a woman chewing gum looked like a cow chewing its cud.

Better than having her fingers in her mouth all day!

Perhaps it is a reversal to childhood/babyhood when we DID have our fingers in our mouths all the time.

Does she say what sort of strings? Like hair, or cotton, or ... string?

Any mouth ulcers, new bumps, anything stuck between her teeth? There's nothing wrong with getting a good torch and (with her permission, and minding not to shine it in her eyes by mistake) having a look.

I wonder if rinsing and spitting might help her explain what sensation she's feeling, if it's still there after she's spat. You could make her up a very weak mouthwash and boiled, cooled water solution for the purpose.

I suppose it could be a misfiring brain signal, but I'd have thought it more likely there is *something*. Just not something significant in the view of a doctor or dentist, i.e. not sinister or needing treatment.

If the worst comes to the worst and the habit goes on, you'll just have to wash her hands more frequently and look the other way in between.

My husband is OCD after his stroke. He plays in the trash can by his chair or tries to get to the trashcan if I move it. He does this the same way over and over again. Finally, I asked his doc if he could have something very mild to curb the behavior. It took a couple of trial and errors on which med worked. But we did find one, now no playing in the trash can even if it is by his chair. Good luck.

Thinking/believing there are strings in her mouth falls under the category of hallucinations for a person suffering dementia/Alzheimer's. There are medications available to relive your mom's distress with this matter, so do speak to her doctor about it. In the meantime, check out this useful link on the subject:

https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/hallucinations

Good luck!

How about an oral moisturizer in gel form? Basically, a scant teaspoon full to swish around her mouth and spit.

Maybe keep a cup of water within reach so she can sip that - I like Katiekate's idea of a candy or lozenge, maybe gum too. And keep a washcloth or wipes handy and clean her hands periodically.

Is she a swallow risk? If not, find a candy or vitamin C supplement she can suck on....this will relieve this.

you can imagine how madding it must be to have a hair in your mouth...even if it is just imaginary, it would still drive anyone nuts....nuts enough to have their fingers in there trying to grab it. We all have had that happen.