Concerning now that they have lost my mother's two dentures. What should I do?

That’s why I go every night to do my mother’s mouth care..take her denture out, soak w/ tablet, use mouth swabs to clean gums, repaste denture. I’ve met 2 other daughters that said the facility lost their mother’s denture. My mother is on purée anyway. However, if she did not have denture, she only have to be on purée. She wouldn’t be able to even have the soft pound cake I gave her tonight, which involves some chewing but easy and soft.
My suggestion is just have your mother on purée & protein drinks like boost and ensure. Don’t bother dragging her around back and forth to dentist. My mother just turned 97 & unless dentist came to facility & they paid for them, I wouldn’t bother. My mother doesn’t let anyone else near her denture. When I was away in Florida for long weekend in January, I gave specific instructions in care plan for mouth care that I would do every night. Well, I called Nurse every night whether it was getting done. Not once was it done & used excuse that my mother wouldn’t let anyone near her denture. So, my advice is have her on purée and protein drinks. 🤗 hugs

If her speech is understandable and she can eat, then don't bother with new dentures.

Why can't dentures be microchipped like pets? Or be findable on "Find My" on a phone and computer? I regularly keep track of air tags I've put on my LO, keys, and so on. "Find My" works. It even tells me if I'm farther or closer, and it shows me moving in the right or wrong direction and how many feet or inches away I am.

Those who wear dentures, check into this to find out if there is such a thing.

Also there is a pin that you can use to pin an air tag to clothing. If I were putting it on a dementia patient, I'd fasten it to the back under the collar where they couldn't readily reach it to remove. Available on Amazon and Walmart.

I agree. I just cannot imagine my mom at 96 who can barely sit up long enough in her wheelchair to eat and complains she wants to go back to bed as soon as the meal is over sit in a dentist office with her mouth wide open and dealing with several adjustments. By that time she might even not know what is going on anymore the way her dementia is getting worse. Thank you.

I’ve had dentures for 11 years, but I rarely put them into my mouth.

Like many, I wear a mask when I go out and people often assume it’s for health reasons. While staying healthy is important, the truth is that it’s easier for me to eat without my dentures in. The bulk of plastic makes it harder to swallow when enjoying meals.

Despite not wearing my dentures often, my annual blood tests consistently show that I’m well nourished. I stick to soft foods, which I find easier to consume without the dentures.

In my opinion, it’s not about needing new dentures, but rather finding what works best for each individual. If your mother is comfortable without them, maybe she doesn’t need new dentures either.

pb2manydogs: Since dentures are supposed to have an identification number, perhaps they can be located in the facility.

This is just a suggestion. Dentures have the name of the owner imbedded in the dentures.
Tell the facility you are going to do a room to room search and I’ll bet they find them.
This happened to my grandmother years ago. Someone came into her room and took her soaking dentures. I was then shown a drawer full of dentures to look through. There they were!
You’ve got nothing to lose to do this.
Residents also with bury their dentures in potted plants on the patios.
good luck

I am taking care of a 93 year old mother with dementia who has not worn dentures in two years. The reason is that she broke her bottom one, broke one pair of partial and couldn't adjust to the replacement. Her dementia also got to the point where she becomes paranoid about anything "new," since she only recognizes old things.

She is, believe it or not, doing okay. Obviously, she's not been able to eat everything, but she's able to eat. It's a matter of switching away from hard, chewy stuff towards softer foods and cutting things into bite-sized pieces. If your mother is doing fine and is reluctant to get dentures, then listen to her. If you notice weight loss, add nutritional drinks like Ensure, Boost, etc.

I know this sounds weird, but other posters hit it on the nose. It's actually going to be more grueling going through the process of getting fitted for dentures and such than going without them. If your mother's dementia is getting worse, she could suffer personality changes that make her difficult to deal with or incapable of following aftercare instructions, so you might go through the effort of getting dentures, only for your mother to not want to wear them or make dental visits difficult.

I have heard of nursing homes doing that in the past ...once is bad enough, but twice! I would let them know you want them to be more careful. For Pete sakes how do they loose dentures? If they are not taking good care of your mother, you may need to find another place. Some of the neglect and abuse in these homes is terrible.

I would at least attempt to take her for a new set with her dentist. She how it goes, if the first couple visits do not go well, you can always discontinue doing any more.

Best wishes to you and your mom!!!

I'm sorry, that sucks! My mom had such a a hard to getting adjusted to new dentures, it was awfully and she was in a lo pain for quite a while. At least 3 months. I would suggest, if you do get them, to only give her mostly liquids for a few days, so she doesn't get a sore on her gums, then start slowly with soft foods. But if you decide not to that's fine too. I'm sure her gums are hard enough to eat a lot of soft foods.

If her dementia is getting worse she’s not in the best place to make the decision to get new dentures. Sometimes they require adjustment so that’s another trip to the dentist. Can they serve her a soft or semi soft meal that will be easier to eat?

I'm 60 years old and have had one implant. It was the worst thing in the world! The time, the appointments, the aggravation of getting it correct! argh! I would never do another implant. Give me a root canal any day but never another implant. If mother can continue without them let her. Give her liquid protein, soft foods, etc. Oh and my daughter is going through the implant process right now - same one - three times because the body rejected the implant the first two times. Prayers for another option.

Surprised they didn't just say hi without her teeth. Many residents at the facility do this.

Since losing them is an issue as well as age & mom’s issue with dental visits, I would just forego getting new ones. Seems like she’s adjusting well. Make sure she’s still getting enough protein and calories to prevent weight loss. Consider liquid supplements if necessary. Have harder to chew items changed to soft or diced.

https://senior.com/products/easy-denture-patient-self-fitting?variant=42642533220490&msclkid=6481d6ae28991b10e148b0a23a66c415&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ECI%20-%20Bing%20Shopping%20-%20Easy%20Dentures%20(High)%20%5BCONS%5D&utm_term=4585788126212788&utm_content=Easy%20Dentures

Dental implants are a long involved process and often cause bad infections. If my mom could eat softer foods I would not make new dentures! As for appearance? Wow..

I'd get the dentures, or what about full-mouth dental implants if she can afford them and can tolerate what's involved? Then this problem couldn't occur again. It's also about her dignity. A sunken face of someone with no teeth isn't attractive.

pb2manydogs, you'd be surprised how many thing get lost under those hospital beds, and with all the mechanics underneath, it isn't easy finding things. My Mom would lose her glasses on a regular basis, and there they were sitting on their side next to a mechanical part of the bed.

Mom lost hers twice in MC. Her fault though because of her memory. Occasionally I would find them under her bed. Yes, I took her to those appointments. But she was always excited to get out. She did best in the morning after breakfast when she had more energy

First I think they should reimburse you for the dentures in any case.
Is your mom eating well without the dentures? You say she is eating pretty good. But has she lost weight since they lost the dentures? If she has lost weight that might indicate that she may in fact need them.,
Is the facility helping by providing meals that have been minced for her or are they helping by cutting foods into smaller pieces?
A friend of mine, quite a bit younger has dentures but does not wear them and he has adapted quite well. Don't know if that is because of his age and he has been without teeth for a very long time.

Personally I would opt to not put her through the "torture" of getting fitted for new dentures. Making the mold, then the fitting and adjusting just might not be worth it all.