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How to care for spouse with constant chewing, grinding teeth?
My wife was diagnosed with full frontal mild dementia in 2018. She started not talking in full sentences a year ago . Now a year ago , she started daily grinding her teeth at home and in public . She chews when there is no food in her mouth. She can be loud sometimes and it limits where i can take her. Dr prescribed escitalopram 5mg, did nothing. Clonazepam o.5mg. ,which is too strong. It is a sedative. Quetiapine fumarate 25mg, was prescribed but scared to use. First line of side effects says may cause death with elderly dementia patient or mood swings, depression or drowsyness. Any suggestions in stopping this driving force in damaging her teeth especially as a lateral excursive movement that is not tardive dyskinesia? Please help me. Frustrating and constant except during eating and sleeping!
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@orlandohodges2026 My first reaction reading this, although I'm not a dentist or doctor, is wondering if a mouth guard would help her. I'm not sure, however, that mouth guard would be safe (for her condition) from what I've read. I do know there are in-home dental care services, that will evaluate her in a calm environment if she can't go to the dentist to see if a mouthguard is safe or if there is some other treatment better suited for her constant grinding. Dental Home Services has a blog about "How to stop teeth grinding in dementia patients." I don't know anything about Dental Home Services, but I do know they have a free ebook you can download.
Google them. dentalhomeservices.com I also know Dr. Natali with Careblazers is a walking wealth of wisdom on given subjects. There may be something on line from her about this in one of her various utubes.
Best, Karla
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7 ReactionsKarla,
Thank you so much for responding.
She does have a mouth guard and it was preventing her from completing the action of chewing. But she's learned in the last two weeks, How to spit it out. The information about the home dental services.
Blog is very helpful and I will check on this and see if they have any other information to assist. Thank you again.
Orlando Hodges