# Elder Care: Dementia and Toothbrushing **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2024, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117 "2024-11-12T02:29:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Colossus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.colossus/32/9423_2.png) [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/1 "2024-11-12T02:29:24Z")
Hey gang, Long time no see…just been trucking a long same as usual–I hope you are all finding yourselves well with all of the . Mom is moving along just fine, still teetering in the final 6’s on the F.A.S.T. scale. I am openly seeking advice on teeth brushing: mom has a lower partial, but otherwise has all her others, except she lost one between her front and canine after the dentist did a filling. She can’t really keep up with brushing–the “don’t swallow” part is hard enough. Tonight I tried brushing them with my hands, but she really fussed and made a fit of the whole thing. I’d love to keep her natural teeth but I have no idea how to keep up with them. Is there a rinse or device or…? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/2 "2024-11-12T02:39:05Z")
They make a finger tip sleeve with soft rubber bristles. Use a children toothpaste. No hot or minty flavors. Little water. After give her water. If she’ll spit. Good. If she swallows a little bit it won’t hurt her. My old aunt had to have her teeth pulled. It was horrible, but she kept waking up bloody from chewing her cheeks and tongue all night. She did well without the teeth. Oh, stand behind her doing it. Put one hand on back of her head loosely, face mirror, Say “open” and stick your finger in. Do it quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/3 "2024-11-12T03:04:43Z")
Is one of those U-shaped “whole mouth” sonic brushes an option? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/4 "2024-11-12T17:24:00Z")
Soft baby toothbrush and oral swabs, (stick with a tiny sponge on the end), and a kidney shaped plastic tray will make everything much, much easier. Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Colossus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.colossus/32/9423_2.png) [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/5 "2024-11-12T19:25:37Z")
Can you all tell I’ve never had to brush a kid’s teeth or anything like that?? I ordered a U-shaped electric full-mouth brush. I’ll start with that. Great tip on the kid’s toothpaste! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/6 "2024-11-12T19:39:34Z")
> [@Dr.Colossus](#): > > She can’t really keep up with brushing–the “don’t swallow” part is hard enough. I don’t think the typical amounts of toothpaste that people use when brushing their teeth is an immediate hazard if swallowed. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elder-care-dementia-and-toothbrushing/1010117/7 "2024-11-12T20:00:16Z")
Yeah, just apply a small amount of toothpaste to the brush, and i don’t think there’s much to worry about re swallowing. This study doesn’t directly address the hazards of interesting toothpaste [Toothpaste ingestion—evaluating the problem and ensuring safety: systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10622757/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20toothpaste%20ingredients%20such,the%20toxicity%20of%20Titanium%20Dioxide). But it does make it clear that acute toxicity is very uncommon, and that it’s common for people to ingest some of the toothpaste they use.