false teeth

Davegrant

My DW has a difficult time with her false upper plate. She continually takes them out to clean them with a paper napkin. It could be at dinner or walking at a shopping mall. For the last couple of years, she has complained that her teeth were not "sharp enough". We have been to the dentist twice and they "sharpened " them. Then they were ok for a few months. Now she is taking them out to dry them. She can't explain the problem. When I asked her, she said that either food or liquid gets behind them. They appear to fit well. I was just wondering if anyone else had this experience and what you would ask the dentist. When we are at the dentist office, she says they are fine. I ask because I am not sure if this is a dental problem or a dementia problem.

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Joydean

Dave, I can’t answer for anyone else. My dh has worn dentures for about 10 years. Never had any problems with them. He is in mid stage 6. The last couple of months he has problems trying to put them in, they are either upside down or upper plate on bottom just different aspects. Now he’s saying he can’t eat with them because of one reason or another. Sadly we did get a new set made 6 months ago but it was a waste of money! Best of luck to you!

Ed1937

I think it's a dementia problem. My wife had upper dentures, and it seemed like she always had them out doing something with them. She lost them, and I didn't notice right away. When I did notice, I asked her where they were. She didn't know. I refused to buy new ones without giving plenty of time to find them. After a couple of weeks, one of our sons found them on the passenger side floorboard of the car.

Josie in Podunk

At some point not too awfully long after his dementia was becoming obvious my hubby had his remaining teeth pulled and spent a good deal of money on the dentures. We must have gone back a half dozen times because he said they didn’t fit right. Bless the dentist for being so agreeable. He got very frustrated.

Thinking back to when I got mine I realized that maybe they did not feel right to him because they did not feel like his real teeth. Rather than fuss at him for the expense I suggested he leave them out for a while so his mouth could heal. He had had them long enough that his mouth was fully healed, so that was a fibblet, but it worked.

Now he just doesn’t wear them at all. His beard and mustache camouflage the lack of teeth. He eats what ever he wants and doesn’t seem to remember he bought dentures.

Don’t know that it would work in your love’s case.

Josie

Davegrant

Thanks. She will only take them out to wipe them with a napkin. I remember when she got them the doctor told her to take them out at night. She doesn't. I take them occasionally and brush them. I do think the problem is the dementia not the teeth themselves. I thank all of you who made a comment.

saltom

My DH had dentures for years and would periodically have trouble with them and take them out of his mouth for most of the day. They usually had to be relined, and that fixed the problem. About a month before his death I noticed he was taking the dentures out again. I was going to see if they could be relined w/o his having to go to the dentist. I never got around to it. FYI another problem was that he confused the denture adhesive with regular tooth paste which made a mess of everything in his mouth.

Davegrant

Thanks

Dave