Dentures 101

Though this happened a while ago, this is by far one of my best SLP stories. As an SLP, we learn quite a bit about human anatomy, especially of the mouth and throat. However, in graduate school, they tend to leave out practical information, like how dentures work.

Now, the great majority of the public knows about dentures, or fake teeth. I would put myself in that category, even though I had never worked with dentures prior to this experience. Now, we've all seen the adds on TV for denture adhesive, whether it be the paste or the little mouth-shaped strips. And, by watching those commercials (and presumably reading the directions), one could assume that applying dentures isn't rocket science. Well, not entirely rocket science!

Working in a Rehab facility, I knew that one day I would have to help some cute little old man with his dentures. This fact didn't really bother me....I'm not squeamish, or afraid, or grossed out by much. So, when the day came, I jumped right in.

That morning, I was seeing a cute little old man, Mr. R, right after breakfast for therapy. He had Parkinson's disease, which can greatly effect the volume and clarity of speech, and was very weak. Parkinson's disease, in its later stages, can also effect cognition, and can result in Parkinsonian Dementia. During our therapy session, I was planning to work on memory, volume projection, and the use of clear speech strategies in conversation. As I greeted Mr. R and wheeled him out of the dining room, I noticed that he was pleasantly confused and didn't have his dentures in.

So, we made a side trip to his room, where I planned to get his dentures. The following exchange is best presented in dialogue form. Enjoy!

Me: "Alright Mr. R, lets put your dentures in."
Mr. R: (In a very muddled voice) "No...they hurt."
Me: "Are they too loose?"
Mr. R: "Yes."
Me: "Ok, well, lets put some adhesive on them. Would that make them fit better?"
Mr. R: "Yes."

I proceeded to take Mr. R's dentures out of the container and squirt a line of adhesive on the top plate. I then put the top plate in Mr. R's mouth and held it there for 3-5 seconds. I turned away and began to prepare the bottom plate with adhesive paste.

Me: "Ok, Mr. R, lets put the bottom ones in."
Me: (Turns toward Mr. R to see top plate sitting on Mr. R's tongue.)
Me: "Oh, Mr. R, did they not stick?!"
Mr. R: "asdf oiadf n;akjdnf ;sadsf." (Presumably, "No.")
Me: "Should we try and stick them back up?"
Mr. R: (Shakes head 'no'.) "adsf oiawnefo;nad ;adosfj."
Me: "Ok, lets just take them out."
Me: "Would you like a drink of water to rinse your mouth out?"
Mr. R: "No."
Me: "Are you sure?"
Mr. R: "No."
Me: "Ok...."

I then proceeded to wheel Mr. R back out into the dining room, where I had decided to conduct what was left of our therapy session. We park in a sunny spot next to the window.

Me: "Ok, Mr. R, can you tell me what today's date is?"
Mr. R: (TRIES TO TALK, BUT MOUTH IS GLUED SHUT!) "WA WA WA, WA WA WA WA"
Me: "OH MY GOSH, MR. R, IS YOUR MOUTH STUCK?!?"
Mr. R: (Emphatically nods his head 'yes'.)
Me: "Oh, Mr. R, I am so sorry!"

I then high-tail it out of the dining room and back into Mr. R's room. Once there, I PRY his mouth open with my gloved fingers and desperately try to scrub the denture GLUE from his gums!

Me: "Mr. R, I am so sorry, this is the first time I've ever put dentures in before!"

Then, Mr. R's wife enters the room and immediately starts laughing. wonderful.....

Mr. R's Wife: (Laughing) "You glued his mouth shut, didn't you!"
Me: (Almost crying) "Yes, I am so sorry! I guess I'm not very good at this!"
Mr. R's Wife: (Still laughing) "He wouldn't rinse his mouth out, would he?"
Me: "No, he wouldn't."
Mr. R's Wife: (Still laughing) "He always fights me on that one! You just have to get mean with him. Really, I just need to get him some dentures that fit right!"
Mr. R's Wife: "Don't worry honey, he won't remember it anyway!"

And so ended my very first experience with dentures. Thankfully Mr. R and his wife were good sports and didn't get upset. I can only imagine the explanation I'd have to give to a crabby family. Needless to say, I haven't tried my hand at dentures again!!

And now, some Zelda Wisdom...