Do All Old People "Chew" Their Teeth?

Definitely not alone and you take care too. It is such a difficult journey both us and our mothers are on. In April my mum was absolutely thought gone - not getting fluids or anything, doing that cheyne stokes breathing, kidneys and liver crashing, 20+ kilos of fluid on board. We were in a bedside vigil and expecting her to pass at any moment. Now she is sitting up in the tv room at home quite comfortably!! And initially it was not because of medical intervention - her body just kicked back in somehow. Its a cruel and confusing illness. As is dementia. Best wishes to you and your mother and every time she smacks her teeth or grinds them, think there are a bunch of us out there privately screaming 'stop it!' inside our heads too haha x

Thanks for letting me know that I am not alone! I'd say with us being with them all the time is why it is so annoying. I am thankful for a big house that I can escape when things get to me. My Mom was also in end stages of heart failure and was in the hospital with CHF, blood clots in the lungs and pneumonia. She pulled out of it and has been on the upswing for a couple of months. She has the doctor and myself both very confused. Her dementia seems to be getting worse daily, but I am hanging in there and doing the best I can to care for her. Best wishes to you in your journey with taking care of your Mum. My thoughts are with you. Take care!

My mum doesnt have dementia that I know of, but end stage heart failure. She has lost weight and her teeth are not a great fit any more. It drives me absolutely bonkers, the noises with her teeth! Im not sure why I let it get to me, as she can't help it (I assume).. it is really irritating though, isn't it? :/

Thanks! Hers are partials that are held by the very few teeth that she has. She has chewed them so much that they are worn down. She also smacks her mouth all the time. Sometimes I wonder if it is to get my attention, but I am sure it is from her dementia/alz. Thanks again!

I'm not sure if that's just a habit or obsession that people with alz. get for sure. But I do know, that I have a girlfriend that had her teeth removed more than a decade ago and has worn dentures since then. As she has lost weight over the years, her dentures didn't fit anymore and had to have new ones. She said that also as a person ages, their bone density may change, along with their weight, so the dentures will get loose. If that's the case, and the person with alz can't tell you that, then it makes sense to me that they would chomp on something that's loose in their mouth.