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Dentist appointment

Have an upcoming dental cleaning appt scheduled for this Tuesday and not looking forward to it. The last appt, 6 months ago, was uneventful. However, in the last 6 months, my DHs patience level has disappeared and his agitation levels have increased. I will be bringing his new sitter with us, but any insight as to managing dental cleanings, other than sitting with him? Thanks

Comments

  • annie51
    annie51 Member Posts: 466
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    Member

    Make sure the person working on him is aware of his dementia if they are not already. My DH isn’t as good at cleaning his teeth as he used to be so his hygienist was doing extra work on him and it took just a little too long and she could tell he was getting antsy to get up. So the next time she made it shorter and he was fine. I didn’t go in with him because he really likes his hygienist, but I think sitting with him is a good idea if you are a calming influence. I was able to convince DH to let the foot doctor cut his nails because I was there with him and calming him down. Good luck!

  • Cardenas1816
    Cardenas1816 Member Posts: 23
    10 Comments First Anniversary 5 Insightfuls Reactions 5 Care Reactions
    Member

    I agree that you need to make sure the dentist knows in advance. On my husband’s last cleaning they were very patient with him and even offered nitrous oxide to help him relax. I also made sure to repeat whatever the dentist said to him because he tends to trust me when he doesn’t trust others.

  • Milo4455
    Milo4455 Member Posts: 39
    25 Likes 25 Care Reactions 10 Comments 5 Insightfuls Reactions
    Member

    Thank you all!

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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