Is rinsing with Listerine enough when mom forgets to brush her teeth?

I’m a dental hygienist (retired now after 37 years of practice and teaching). Mouthwashes do nothing to remove daily plaque accumulation which is full of bacteria. You may know it causes both decay and bone loss around teeth and gingivitis. So the answer is no the mouthwash is not substitute as it will not remove the sticky adherent biofilm on the teeth. I would suggest you get a powered toothbrush such as Oral B or Sonicare and you brush them. Ideally she should use floss but I doubt she would. But you can buy interdental picks called Soft Pics by Butler. They will go between her teeth to remove food. The smell of her breath is caused by bacteria releasing sulfur compounds. This is indicative of gum disease. The bacteria can get into the blood stream as well. They are implicated in heart, lung, issues as well as strokes. Some studies have found the bacteria associated with gum disease in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. I suggest you supervise or you brush her teeth. Take her to a dentist for an exam and a good periodontal cleaning by a hygienist.

I found a reasonable solution for brushing teeth with disposable toothbrushes. Colgate Optic White Wisp Mini White is available from Amazon. It has a built in sugar free bead that dissolves to help clean the teeth. No water needed, everything can be swallowed. The mini brush has a dental pick on the other end. My mom loves it. It doesn’t replace a good brushing with real toothpaste, but it’s way better than nothing.

My mom (96) with dementia that crept in is still somewhat functional. I've had to pick the battles. I worry about the same issues but there is only so much one can do short of having a 1/1 person with her which is impossible for many reasons not the least of which would be her tolerance (not). So, for the moment, she has not bathed /showered in many months. The DDS has noticed less attention to her teeth brushing but I am not the one to stand over her and have my hands full dealing with a demanding father (age 101/deaf) and doing cleaning, cooking, laundry and holding a part time job so I can retire less poor than I will be. But yes, I'd say the teeth will be impacted, and you know how bad...from dirty, to decay to gum issues, and removals and bridges or more...so if you can do anything towards the goal it is great. I'm sure others here will give you better guidance and I will be following along with you:-)

If you can hover with a cup of Listerine, can you not hand her a toothbrush and help her brush? Can you not supervise toileting and hand washing afterwards?

One of the reasons that we placed mom in a NH is that was assistance with these essential ADLs.

My husband and I cared for his mother, and as she entered into the last stages of Alzheimer's she then forgot how to brush her teeth. The day I caught her scraping her toothbrush across a bar of soap was when we had to take over! Going forward we stored her toothbrush where she couldn't get to it, and took over brushing her teeth.

Although she wouldn't allow us to floss her teeth she did allow me to brush her teeth, and then she rinsed with a glass of water. Otherwise, she would not have been able to brush her teeth any longer. The dentist / hygienist were unable to help her because they said she would become combative in the chair. At that point something was better than nothing, so at least we were able to brush her teeth for her!

God bless you for taking care of your loved one!

Dementia patients are as different as night and day. Some will still love to have their teeth brushed and their hair combed and be bathed. Others will bite you if you try (and everything in between). All anyone can do is see what their dementia patient will tolerate, then do that and no more. You are dealing with a broken brain that may not understand society norms any longer. To them, the toothbrush may be trying to choke them, the bath may be trying to drown them, etc. All we can do is be gentle and kind to them, since they are in such unfamiliar territory.

I have some piece of mind by taking my mom to the dentist for regular cleanings.
my mom thinks she brushes well. but the hygienist always removes a bunch of crud.(plaque etc)

maybe buy a large bottle with pump of hand sanitizer. but with supervision
or check her hands during the day. and pay attention to under the nails. 

The lack of good oral hygiene as well as hand washing after using the toilet are two signs of the dementia progressing and signals to you that you'll need to up her level of assistance with these ADLs in particular.

My mom experienced this too. It started with the lack of hand washing then a refusal to wash. Bear in mind when the hand washing refusal started, I had already been assisting her during bathroom trips because I first noticed 'accidents' in her underwear when I did her laundry--clearly she wasn't wiping appropriately and needed help. So, look out for this and other signs, and perhaps start accompanying her to assist in toileting. The hand washing problem evolved to her being downright agitated and aggressive when I tried to intervene and assist with this. I tried remaining calm and not escalating things, speaking to her in a pleasant voice and making sure the water was an inviting warm temperature. I added hand massages and fragrant smelling soaps to the routine as well as had various alternatives like hand sanitizer, wipes, or a wet soapy washcloth to offer if she just wasn't willing with soap and running water. It was really a painstaking process, but I did whatever it took because I am a hygiene freak.

As the illness progressed she became incontinent and now has us caregivers handling toileting; her hands became very contracted and in fist configurations, so it has been even harder to manage, but I still find appropriate methods to keep her hands clean, like soaking them in warm soapy water.

Not long after the hand washing issue came her disinterest in her oral hygiene. This one totally shocked and really depressed me because my mom was a dentist assistant married to my dad--a dentist--and SHE used to brush and floss multiple times a day! Her teeth were in great shape going into the dementia, but suddenly, no more flossing, and then she would not even open her mouth to let me brush them. Again, I tried different tactics, for example, switching to an electric brush (Oral B), and that helped some with the process. I couldn't floss her because she too would bite me, so I started using Go-Betweens (Proxabrushes) which helped.

Next, she would not spit out the water after rinsing either holding it in for long periods or just swallowing it, so I started using an aspirator to suction her mouth. I add alcohol free Listerine to her rinsing water, and sometimes she swallows this but that's okay. I still use a paste with flouride because she was getting bad decay from baby toothpaste or the flouride-free ones.

In terms of cleanings, I now use dentists that make home visits because she is now homebound (confined to a wheelchair). Sadly two of her teeth recently broke off and one chipped due to severe grinding and accumulation of plaque, as the aides I have had were not as diligent about her oral care. The dentists emphasized using flouride toothpastes and proxa brushes as well as raising up/pulling down her lips while brushing to really get into those hard to reach areas. I also have my mom rinse out her mouth after every meal (super helpful) and I brush her morning and before bed. It is more work, but I will do what's needed to help her retain her teeth.

So please don't give up. Just be sure to modify your approach with new tactics and tools and more vigilance and assistance of your loved one. And check with your local Alz. Association chapter &/or MD for referrals of visiting dentists, particularly those who work with dementia clients because they will have experience dealing with these issues.

Last tip that I've been using for myself & my mom is one recommended by a periodontist that involves brushing with baking soda, leaving on a coating of the soda and then rinsing with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for fighting and repelling plaque. (For more details on this, search YouTube for 'Simple, but Powerful Gum Treatment Strategy - with Nadine Artemis'.) It works!

Good oral hygiene is important for many other reasons then just your mouth. Your heart for one thing!!!! And if I was around your mom I’d hate to pickup fecal matter germs. YUCK

My niece recently told me that the call of 'puss & paws' was what she remembered most about coming to my home when she was little - that meant everyone wash their face & hands before eating - if I couldn't smell the soap it was too long since they had washed up & this stopped those who said 'I just did it' [2 to 3 hours before] -

Try it for all so she washes those hands - start when others are there & are on board so she will see it is the usual [FYI my 2 & 3 YO grandchildren wash their hand & come for the sniff test] - it's worth the try & if it works then that is 1 worry off you - I hope this works for you

If you need her teeth to last 30 years then worry about it - if less make a call - maybe group listerine swishing which is better than nothing - what was her prior teeth issues? this can be a contributing factor - I had a bad problem after a wisdom tooth extraction so doing teeth is an issue for me as I generally gag every time I brush my teeth - maybe settle for 3 times a week rather than force the issue