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My mom is 93 with dementia, She has had the same dentures for years with no issues. I keep them brushed and cleaned frequently. Recently she has started to complain of discomfort with the gums on the bottom dentures. I am cleaning the dentures and brushing them frequently. I also have applied OraGel and warm salt water to the gum area. Should I take her to a dentist to perhaps get the dentures adjusted? At this stage, I do not believe she could adapt to new dentures. That may be too disruptive for her. Has anyone faced this type of issue? Any advice? I know how important good oral hygiene is. Thanks

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The gums in the mouth shrink; with that shrinkage comes discomfort from the denture b/c it's no longer fitting properly (it's too big). This is why new dentures need to be made approximately once every 5 years or so and the mouth has to be remeasured/molded for a new fit. I don't think the dentist can 'readjust' ill fitting dentures if they are 5 years old and hurting her b/c of mouth shrinkage. You can give it a try, of course. And if she has a dentist who uses an on site lab, he can fit her for a new lower denture w/o too much fuss b/c the new one can be adjusted on the spot.

The other alternative is to leave her without a lower denture and see how she does. Whether she can eat without it. If so, you're all set. If not, take her into the dentist and see about a new lower; it's not as big a deal as you think. The big deal is adjusting to a new denture when the teeth are first pulled out. Not when a new one needs to be made.

GOOD LUCK!
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Msblcb Jul 2022
Thank you!
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Agreed that the gums may be shrinking. Please don’t consider dental implants. A friend’s father at age 88 with Alzheimer’s had a similar problem and wanted implants, so she arranged it and he suffered much pain getting it done and afterward. He may have lived about a year like that and then died. She spent $30,000 for the implants which she now says was a really bad idea considering that they didn’t enhance the quality of life and actually made it worse. Too old is sometimes just too old.
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I am a dental hygienist with 35 years of experience. As others have said, the gums and bone, especially of the lower jaw, shrink down with time. The denture doesn’t change, so after awhile it doesn’t fit quite right and can rub in areas. It is likely that the denture may only need an adjustment (minor filing down in specific areas) to alleviate the problem. A middle ground remedy that might be recommended is a reline of the denture. I would try either or both of those alternatives before making a new denture. Because you are correct when you say it would be difficult to adjust to a new one. Seems like it would be the same as the old, but they never are. And people are used to what they are used to. Besides it takes many appointments to get one made. Maybe your mom is up for that, maybe not. Also, def avoid the implant scenario. Not going to be helpful at this stage of her life and with her condition. Not to mention the cost.
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CaringSharShar Aug 2022
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Any pros and cons you have regarding implants would be helpful.
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What sort of discomfort? A sore spot or side, or general discomfort, or what?

Examine the gums with a bright light (ask her to close her eyes, or hold a flannel over them). See if there's anything to see. If you're not happy with the colour or you do notice anything odd, report it - doctor or dentist, either will do.
Examine the lower denture really carefully, see if you can feel any roughness or spot any issues there.
If it's general discomfort, you'd better get someone qualified to check her out in case there's an infection of some sort - gingivitis, thrush, anything like that. You can be rigorous about oral hygiene and still be unlucky, especially if she's taking certain medications.

In any case, though, I wouldn't ignore it. Better to waste a professional's time on something-of-nothing than to miss something important.
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Frebrowser Aug 2022
My Mom was on a medication that warned us to watch out for thrush. She followed the instructions to use the recommended mouthwash, but when she suddenly didn’t want to wear her dentures, she did have thrush.

I believe the medication was one of the puffers for COPD.
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As my mother's dementia advanced, she found everything that touched her skin uncomfortable. She stopped wearing her glasses, and eventually she stopped accepting dental hygiene. At that point she was in her mid to late 90s and on soft foods, so it didn't matter much if her teeth deteriorated. I stopped making dental appointments for her after a bad experience extracting a tooth. At that point she was not understanding why she was there.
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Of course you should take her to e dentist!
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Pain is an indication of a problem. Get her to the dentist.
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I have worked in dentistry for over 30 years, a set of dentures do not last forever because the gum/bone changes over time and even weight changes can affect the fit. She may only need a simple adjustment or they could do what is called a reline. A soft reline can be done same day or a hard reline would require 2 visits (possible additional visits for adjustments). A reline adds material to the denture to help them fit better. In my opinion I don't think a new denture at this point would be a good idea but find a good dentist who works with elderly patients. Some facilities even have dentists that come to them. Good hygiene, even with dentures, is so important so I'm very happy to hear you cleaning them. You are obviously very caring and compassionate. I hope you can get her comfortable soon.
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Your mother could very well have lost or gained enough weight that dentures no longer fit well. An accommodating dentist can make adjustments for comfort that will suffice as you say, "at this stage." My husband had similar denture problems and was terminally ill and on Hospice, so we did not want to start with new dentures. Adjustments were made for comfort and that worked well.
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The main question is...
Would she be compliant at the dentist office?
Could she sit for an extended time in the dental chair?
If you have to give her meds to get her to comply do know that she will be more prone to falls until the drug(s) wear off.
IF she has to have any work done with anesthesia this is risky. Dementia and anesthesia do not "play well together" and she may well have a decline in cognition for quite some time if she even recovers her baseline.
How is her eating now? Is she eating pureed food or a regular diet? If she is eating pureed or finely minced food there may be no reason to even continue to wear the dentures.
You can continue the oral hygiene without the dentures.
You can check her mouth and try to determine if there are any red or inflamed areas
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Msblcb Aug 2022
She does have only soft or puréed foods. She is a vegetarian so only eats soft veggies. I ended up buying Orajel and rubbing it on her gums. After a week she seems to be fine. I wander if some food particles worked their way under the denture and caused discomfort. For now, this crisis seems to be over. I never know what I am going to find when I visit. Thank you for you helpful comments.
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