Should I force my mom with Alzheimer’s to get her teeth cleaned? She’s extremely sensitive to any discomfort.

You could call the dentist and ask about their procedure for cleaning the teeth of patients with her issues. Many dentists now offer minimal sedation for common procedures.

While the dentist & dental cleanings are definitely NOT a 'scam' by any stretch of the imagination, I would not be taking your mother with advanced ALZ to the dentist unless she has a very painful tooth that needs extraction. I say this b/c my own mother who had advanced dementia and a very low pain threshold as well was petrified of the dentist, so I never 'forced' her to do anything that would upset her like that. Dignity & respect is the #1 goal here, imo, b/c dementia has already stripped away ENOUGH of their dignity on its own. When my mother had some bad teeth, THEN I'd either take her to the oral surgeon for an extraction, or when she lived in Memory Care, I'd have the traveling dentist come see HER in her apartment and do the extraction right there, in her easy chair. It really cut down on the anxiety big time, to do it that way, and again, it was only in an emergency situation, never for routine cleanings or anything like that.

Some folks are lucky to have good teeth genetically, and not require a lot of trips to the dentist in the first place; no cavities, no root canals, etc. My mother had a good number of her natural teeth at 95 years old, and her gums were in pretty good shape as well! Which is why I was able to keep her dentist visits to an emergency basis only, thankfully.

Keep your mom calm at all costs, and allow the end of her life to be as relaxed as humanly possible, that's my advice.

Best of luck.

No, cancel the appt. IMO its not so much a low threshold of pain its that they become like children. A child scrapes his/her knee and he/she is dying. An adult scrapes their knee and its "oh d**n".
With my mother it was the b/p cuff. You may have thought she was dying.

I would not put Mom through a cleaning. You would know if she was having any problems because her breath would smell like rotten eggs. Nighttime would be the best time for her to brush really well. There are little sponges full of toothpaste that can be used for brushing.

https://www.amazon.com/ZIZNBA-Disposable-Unflavored-Sponge-Swabs%EF%BC%8CTooth/dp/B077W223MF/ref=asc_df_B077W223MF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241948599983&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2369509496384872770&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003829&hvtargid=pla-406776595429&psc=1

Absolutely not. My mother didn't go to a dentist for at least 10 years before she died and rarely before that. She had one cavity her entire life and never flossed. I doubt it had any effect on her dying young -- at 92.

I would skip the cleaning if she isn't having any trouble.

If you are concerned about getting a dental exam, see if there are any special needs dentists in your area and/or ask if they will do the exam without the cleaning.

You run the risk of finding a problem that requires a possibly painful procedure, but you can weigh the costs and benefits at the time. You might act if you find out she is likely to have a toothache in the next six months, since going to a dentist when one is already in pain can be worse than having the chance to use anti-anxiety meds to get through preventing the problem from getting to that point.

Why? Makes no sense. She doesn't need clean teeth to go meet her master she will be let in through the pearly gates!

Another NO.
I know it's heartbreaking to think of our elders possibly losing teeth, especially if they were diligent earlier in their life, but it's really a minor part of the bigger picture. At least she lives with you and you have the ability to make sure she gets routine oral care, unlike those in many facilities.

No.

- she's near the "end of her life", so what's the poinit of teeth cleaning and stressing her out?

- she won't cooperate once you even get her to the dentist. They may even insist on a full set of xrays before performing the cleaning. Been there, done that with my in-laws.

I wouldn't bother. Her teeth aren't bothering her, and don't smell and bother you. You could try some 'games'. There are water picks, where you pump (or power does it for you) and it cleans between the teeth, which might be fun. Even the little floss on a stick things won't hurt her. Between the teeth is where most of the problems are. There are things that you can chew that can help with the outer surface. I certainly wouldn't 'force' if you really expect pain. Have a look along the options in the supermarket, see if something might be useful.

She's 92 I would leave it alone if the teeth cleaning would agitate her.