As dementia advances, personal hygiene declines. An electric toothbrush probably won't make a difference. My mother was in a memory care facility and staff would help her bathe, brush her teeth, etc. As her dementia got worse, she didn't like the feeling of having her teeth brushed. She was swallowing the mouthwash. By that time she was eating soft foods, so I decided that if she didn't want her teeth to be brushed, it wasn't worth asking staff to force her to do it. If her teeth got terrible or even fell out, it wouldn't make a difference, as long as her mouth health was good (no infections).
HelpwithMom23: Pose this question to your mom's DDS. They are the professionals and perhaps they may even suggest a Waterpik IF your mother could handle that.
I tried to use an electric toothbrush to help my husband with oral health. It was too vigorous and made his gums bleed. I'd try a very soft manual toothbrush. Even though it may not do an ideal job, a bleeding mouth is alarming to the patient and worrisome to the caregiver.
Such easy bleeding suggests a problem other than the tooth brush. Has his dentist assessed his gum problem? That needs to be dealt with no matter what toothbrush he uses.
My mom doesn't turn on her electric toothbrush. She uses it as if it is non-electric. Just try a simple one and go with what works, you can't predict the outcome. Mom had used her electric for years, but lost the knack.
I would ask a dentist this question. Some can be more harsh than others, and overuse could injure sensitive gums. Ask your dentist, or hers. Just really any dentist. I would imagine there may be some information online as well but haven't looked. Do consider simplicity of charging also if you aren't there to do it periodically and if staff is unable; add that to her careplan if you are able if your mom is in-facility care.
Crest Spin Brush. It’s inexpensive. The head looks like a regular toothbrush. The tip spins & the rest of the head is a brush that moves back & forth. It only takes a few seconds to clean well & is gentle. No need to apply pressure. The heads are easily replaceable.
If I got it ready with toothpaste, etc., my mom would brush with a regular toothbrush but not very good. So, I got her one of the inexpensive ones with batteries. The vibrating was so distracting that it just made her laugh and keep pulling it out of her mouth so much, she didn't get any brushing done and she had toothpaste everywhere. It was worse, so we went back to the regular tooth brush and I would just watch her and make sure she brushed everything well.
If you are expecting your Mom to brush her own teeth with the toothbrush, choose one that has only 1 speed. My Mom couldn't deal with the multiple speed.
My Mom also has a small mouth, so we got a rechargeable one from Oral B. I was told at their age, it doesn't really matter since they can't brush completely anyway.
Upon request of the dentist, I've been brushing my Mom's teeth going on 4-5 years now. He told me that she just didn't brush her teeth well enough. So once a day, I give her teeth (and tongue) a good cleaning by getting between the teeth with the interdental brushes as well as flossing her teeth. I was using the same electric toothbrush.
Any electric toothbrush will do with assistance. Put it away when not in use. Buy a rechargeable and not one with batteries. Don't waste a lot of money on one. Find it at Walmart.
At the end my mom could not remember how to turn the toothbrush on or off. Dad was far to weak but would allow me to brush his teeth.
At this point in her journey the best toothbrush is going to be having someone else brush her teeth for her. Sadly an electric toothbrush isn't going to solve the problem, so save your money. And like already said, if she only brushes once a day(with help)count your blessings and move on. This is not a hill to die on. Trust me.
I've gotten pretty disillusioned with toothbrushing and electric brushes in particular. My husband (now 94, with dementia) used an electric one for years with success, but now most of the toothpaste ends up all over the bathroom, and his teeth still look VERY unclean. I'm trying to figure out a way to switch back to a classic toothbrush, but he's also gotten very touchy about my "interfering" and anything he interprets as casting aspersions on his mental capabilities. (Before dementia he was easy-going and good-natured.) He's in a nice assisted living place but he is VERY resistant about help from nurses -- simply refuses to cooperate. He won't allow them to help him shower and won't do it himself.
Anyway, for the teeth -- I agree with several posters who point out that at a certain age teeth become a problem we may need to let go of. Hubby's teeth are stronger than mine, especially since, having to take care of him so constantly, I haven't been to the dentist in over a year except to have one of my front teeth extracted because it split. (I look like Alfalfa.) I am starting to try to make some of my serious health issues a priority and let some of his less important ones be taken care of by whatever the future brings. His son, who lives far away but never loses an opportunity to criticize me, has told me several times that my "negative attitude" is causing his father (93 with dementia!) to "move closer to death." In reality I have moved myself much closer to death while emptying his whole house (sending to the sons anything Hubby thought they should have), putting it on the market, trying to visit him for hours every day, and staying in constant touch with his doc to avoid, if possible, speed-up of dementia or increasing pain. Hubby worships his older son a little too much, I think (he noticably treats the younger son with much less affection), and the older adored son is coming for a visit in 3 weeks to "inspect" the very nice AL place I got him into, and he'll no doubt be very critical of his father's teeth and everything else that has changed because of the dementia. Sonny, who is 65, has NO idea what I've been through and refuses to acknowledge that death is coming for all of us and that practices HAVE to change when dementia is involved. I don't see Sonny anymore after being told that I was encouraging him to die so I could get "the money." After about 2 years there will BE no money unless Sonny (who is actually a billionaire) breaks down and contributes a bit. Fortunately I am POA. I would never interfere with Sonny being able to visit or to get anything to which he is legally entitled, but in my current fragile state I will no longer spend time with someone who criticizes every move I make and tells me that I am trying to kill my beloved husband of 30 years for his non-existent money.
Anyway (back to original subject!) my advice is to forget the electric toothbrush if it is too complicated, possibly hurtful, or doesn't achieve cleanliness. With dementia we really have to learn to go with the flow on some things. Some of the things the very elderly start to do, that would have been unacceptable earlier, may be ways they are unconsciously moving themselves toward the death that IS COMING no matter what. We may find ourselves doing the same things when our turns come.
I don't see any reference to the OP's mother being in a facility. And I have to say I usually have trouble opening the base to change the batteries on my own spin brush 🤷🏻♀️
If she is losing the ability to use tools and know what a toothbrush is, I wouldn’t get her one with a battery unless there is a screw in the cover where the batteries can’t fall out. Just my advice.
They sell "disposable" ones for little kids (they require a battery). Please pick your battles wisely... oral hygiene isn't going to be that important for an 84-yr old. If she only brushes once a day, that's good enough. Maybe she'd let you do the brushing if you made a game of it (you let her do your teeth then you do hers, etc). Otherwise a mouth rinse may be just as good (if she doesn't swallow it). Hope you find something that helps!
Good luck.
https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-pe/electric-toothbrushes
My Mom also has a small mouth, so we got a rechargeable one from Oral B. I was told at their age, it doesn't really matter since they can't brush completely anyway.
Upon request of the dentist, I've been brushing my Mom's teeth going on 4-5 years now. He told me that she just didn't brush her teeth well enough. So once a day, I give her teeth (and tongue) a good cleaning by getting between the teeth with the interdental brushes as well as flossing her teeth. I was using the same electric toothbrush.
At the end my mom could not remember how to turn the toothbrush on or off. Dad was far to weak but would allow me to brush his teeth.
And like already said, if she only brushes once a day(with help)count your blessings and move on.
This is not a hill to die on. Trust me.
Anyway, for the teeth -- I agree with several posters who point out that at a certain age teeth become a problem we may need to let go of. Hubby's teeth are stronger than mine, especially since, having to take care of him so constantly, I haven't been to the dentist in over a year except to have one of my front teeth extracted because it split. (I look like Alfalfa.) I am starting to try to make some of my serious health issues a priority and let some of his less important ones be taken care of by whatever the future brings. His son, who lives far away but never loses an opportunity to criticize me, has told me several times that my "negative attitude" is causing his father (93 with dementia!) to "move closer to death." In reality I have moved myself much closer to death while emptying his whole house (sending to the sons anything Hubby thought they should have), putting it on the market, trying to visit him for hours every day, and staying in constant touch with his doc to avoid, if possible, speed-up of dementia or increasing pain. Hubby worships his older son a little too much, I think (he noticably treats the younger son with much less affection), and the older adored son is coming for a visit in 3 weeks to "inspect" the very nice AL place I got him into, and he'll no doubt be very critical of his father's teeth and everything else that has changed because of the dementia. Sonny, who is 65, has NO idea what I've been through and refuses to acknowledge that death is coming for all of us and that practices HAVE to change when dementia is involved. I don't see Sonny anymore after being told that I was encouraging him to die so I could get "the money." After about 2 years there will BE no money unless Sonny (who is actually a billionaire) breaks down and contributes a bit. Fortunately I am POA. I would never interfere with Sonny being able to visit or to get anything to which he is legally entitled, but in my current fragile state I will no longer spend time with someone who criticizes every move I make and tells me that I am trying to kill my beloved husband of 30 years for his non-existent money.
Anyway (back to original subject!) my advice is to forget the electric toothbrush if it is too complicated, possibly hurtful, or doesn't achieve cleanliness. With dementia we really have to learn to go with the flow on some things. Some of the things the very elderly start to do, that would have been unacceptable earlier, may be ways they are unconsciously moving themselves toward the death that IS COMING no matter what. We may find ourselves doing the same things when our turns come.
At my step-mothers MC, nothing with removable batteries are allowed, seems some fiddle with them and one person actually tried to eat one.
Regular one should do just fine.
And I have to say I usually have trouble opening the base to change the batteries on my own spin brush 🤷🏻♀️