Mom is 90, post stroke, vascular dementia, CHF. She had problems with swallowing but this has vastly improved with skilled speech therapy at the nh. Her old partial plate no longer fits. The facility dentist is recommending both upper and lower partials.
I'm think of just doing the upper, as she has never had a lower before. Mom occasionally asks about dentures, and just as occasionally says "no thank you". She's losing weight, is on a soft chopped diet.
Am I grasping at straws here, she has the funds to do this. I worry about the trauma of the fitting process and the fact that she's now on oxygen 24/7. All comments are welcome. Feel free to tell me I'm crazy!
She may be losing her appetite as a natural part of aging. My 94-year old mom is at that stage. Down from ~160 to 121 lbs, where she's holding with a LOT of support from me. But it's a struggle to keep her eating enough (she still has her own teeth) and drinking enough to stay hydrated.
If your mom isn't complaining about the diet and lack of "good food", I doubt dentures would help her that much. But I totally understand your desire to do whatever would help her at this stage. I'm there with my mom. It's a constant balancing act...
Mom's dentist, bless his heart he is so patient with her, is at wits ends because over the past 30 years Mom will not keep the bottom dentures in long enough to get use to them. Then the denture will twist, a tooth will break, or the denture will snap... gee wonder why. And getting new ones is difficult at Mom's age.
Therefore, I would say if your Mom realllllly doesn't need the denture, don't do it.
She is doing fine with just her lower teeth now. In fact, she looks really good and has not lost any weight.