Mom always had great dental hygiene. brushed over 5min twice daily w/ braun. now 92 in nursing home and visible plaque along gumlines. need solutions?

Hygiene for seniors : It may be hard for her to hold the toothbrush now. A wide handled toothbrush may be easier to hold instead of a smaller brush. (the bristles should still be small however) use pre or post rinsing mouthwashes to help loosen plaque. Remind her to massage the gums. She may need daily help with her hygiene now. I would suggest dental checkups every 4 months now instead of only twice a year.

Oral Health Care: Discuss options with her care takers in the nursing home to ensure that she continues to maintain proper oral hygiene. If she can't physically brush her teeth then someone needs to do it for her. If she has problems with dry mouth try products like biotene. They also make tootthbrushes with 3 sides to help people with dexterity problems.

Last teeth Cleaning?: Teeth need to be scaled by a dental profesional at least every 6 months. If you can't transport her to the dentist, call the local dental society to refer you to someone that can go to the nursing home. My patients get the best results with sonic care tooth brushes when they have trouble brushing and flossing by hand.

Help her: If she cannot help herself, then someone needs to share responsibility for helping. Is it memory, ability to use hands/fingers, overall malaise? Find out why she isn't / can't maintain her previous levels and get help. Sometimes a checklist showing when hygiene was done is helpful. Also, if she goes to dentist outside the home, schedule cleanings 4x/year. No need for dentist to check on all 4.

help her: If she is in a nursing home she may not be capable of doing it herself anymore.