Tooth problem - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

Gabriel · 10-23-2008, 03:50 PM

It is always something. Mom started complaing last weekend about her back tooth irritating her. She complained until sister 3 and 4 made her a dental appointment. The dentist found nothing. Mom threw a professional grade southern hissy fit because they paid that man for nothing. He was blind. Couldn't he see what was wrong with her tooth? Today she called Sister 4 complaining of that tooth again so Sister 3 and 4 took her to an oral surgeon today. This time they took x'rays and found.... NOTHING! Mom threw yet another professional grade southern hissy fit.....

What Mom is feeling is the metal edge of a cap she has had for years because her gums are slightly receded. Once she found it she can't leave it alone. According to Sister 3 she had a pair of scissors out when she arrived today trying to get that piece of metal out of her mouth. Now what do we do? She is ripping up her gum digging at the edge of her crown. That is why the gum was irritated when she went to the dentist. So far Sister 3 got some orthodonic wax and put it on the back of the tooth. A few minutes later Mom was chewing it.

So I called Mom. She was crying and upset about the tooth and the dentist/oral surgeon not finding anything when she knows something is there. I got that much from Sister 3. So when I called I started off by saying I had talked to Sister 3 and I was so excited that they had found out what she was feeling on her tooth. I explained about 10 times that it was the metal band at the bottom of her crown and the only way to eliminate that was to pull a perfectly good tooth... so she needed to keep her tongue busy. She admitted it never hurt, it just irritated her and then said she thought chewing the wax was helping. When I hung up Mom was actually laughing and ready for supper. So I am calling frequently to tell her to put more wax in her mouth. I think chewing the wax, for now, is keeping her tongue busy. I just hope it works until she forgets about that tooth.

Every day is something new and different.......

Oh yeah.... Sister 3 had bought Mom and Dad a plush pumpkin to go outside their door with halloween treats in it. Evidently in Mom's tooth frustration she was on the phone with sister 4. At some point she laid down the phone without hanging it up and nobody could call her. Sister 3 arrived to check out the tooth. The door was locked. When that happens we usually call and tell Mom to open the door. Sister 3 called.... and the phone rang.... you got it.... it was in the pumpkin outside of the door. Guess they were trick or phoning LOL

Love, deb

Martha H · 10-23-2008, 05:27 PM

No scissors! No nail clippers. No sharp objects any kind. No matches, no candles. Think of a 2 or 3 year old ... all such things must be kept out of her reach. She could do serious damage with a scissors poking around in her mouth. Oh what a monumental pain this disease is. How about chewing gum?

M

DrewsG · 10-23-2008, 07:40 PM

Ouch!!!!!! Now that sounds painful. Its always something.............your right. Just when you start to breath a little easy.....your on the roller coaster again. Mom has dentures so a sore tooth is never a problem....thank God.
Gram use to have hissy fits. Mom doesn't have them too bad so far. Geez maybe I shouldn't have said that??
The phone thing is a hoot. Mom keeps trying to use her phone as her remote. She will call and say her TV isn't working, I'll explain, then I hear her "push buttons" on the phone.. beep beep.
Good Luck with your Mom and her tooth.
Love Chris

gemini1961 · 10-23-2008, 10:43 PM

I remember my ex-charge, standing on the arm of the lounge, belting the air conditioner with the TV remote. She was SO frustrated .. she knew these little gadets changed things and turned them on and off, but, and I tend to agree with her .. THERE'S SO DAMN MANY !! Her husband, my other ex-charge didn't believe in universal remotes, and she couldn't have learnt a new one anyway.

Cordless telephone found in washing machine.
Cordless telephone thrown at TV.
TV remote found in washing machine
TV remote thrown at air conditioner
Electric Fan remote found in freezer
Electric Fan remote thrown (period .. just thrown)
VCR remote ... hidden
DVD remote ... hidden

I never did figure out why she felt these gadgets had to go into the washing machine LOL

Gabriel · 10-23-2008, 11:19 PM

Martha, all the sharp objects were removed the night Dad tried to cut his wander bracelet off and cut his arm. When they removed his bracelet... Yes, Sister 4 took that stuff back. Dad clipped his fingernails repeatedly while I was there until they bleed. I removed the nail clippers. I guess I will clean out again when I go back...

I have listened to Mom do the same thing Chris. Tell her to push channel 5 on the TV remote and you hear the phone beep and her frustration because it didn't change the TV channel. She regularly forgets to turn off the phone but Dad always remembers to put it back on the cradle which turns it off. Both the TV remote and the phone have been lost, hidden, and thrown. At least with the new set up at AL they only have one remote and don't constantly call the cable company because they have messed up the setting now.

Gemini, you made me laugh. Only on planet ALZ do remotes connect to washing machines.

Love, deb