Question: My mother is in a hospital recovering from hip surgery. The last time I visited her, I noticed a soft crusty material developing around her dentures. Should I be concerned? - Doris in Boynton
Answer: If you are not just describing typical hospital food, then we do have a problem here. A leading cause of death in older people is aspiration pneumonia, often from inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures. Foreign material is breathed into the lungs and airway, causing dangerous (even fatal) inflammation and infection. You also want to stop bacteria from entering the blood stream and infecting your hip joint prosthesis. Dentures need to be removed daily from the mouth, cleaned with a brush, soap and water. I recommend a quick rinse with bleach followed by copious rinsing. If calcium-like deposits are not coming off, have your dentist use an ultrasonic scaler to remove them. For more info on this subject or any other dental topic, contact our office at 239-936-5252.