Toothbrush For Parkinson's Patients

Specially Designed Devices For Parkinsons Patients

Parkinsons Symptoms Relief Part 1 Fine Motor Skills Improvement

Patients with Parkinsons disease may find performing certain everyday tasks challenging. Sitting down to eat, taking a bath or shower, getting dressed or going for a walk can be challenging for people with Parkinsons, even dangerous. As we age, accidental falls become commonplace. However, people with Parkinsons risk of falling is two times greater than the average older adult.

There is a simple solution to help people with Parkinsons disease regain their sense of independence to use specially designed adaptive devices made specifically for Parkinsons patients. A few of those devices are listed below along with a brief description of what they do.

Tips For Making Personal Hygiene Easier With Parkinson’s Disease

Article adapted from:

This week we look to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research for tips on making personal hygiene tasks easier when you have Parkinsons Disease. Tremors and impairment of voluntary movement can make it challenging to complete basic personal care routines with the ease that most of us, not dealing with Parkinsons, take for granted. The following tips may help one to perform their own personal care.

Brush your teeth while listening to music. For some people with Parkinson’s disease, music can help calm a resting tremor or break a freezing spell. Listening to music while brushing teeth can help you get into a rhythm that makes the movement easier.

Invest in an electric toothbrush and shaver. While a bit pricier than manual toothbrushes, going electric can make teeth brushing much easier. Electric shavers are also simpler to use.

Talk to your doctor or dentist about prescription toothpaste. Parkinson’s disease medications can cause dry mouth, and one commenter said that a toothpaste his doctor recommended helps due to higher fluoride content.

Sit while you brush or shave. Set up a mirror at chair level. Some find that balancing arms on a chair can also help with shaving as well as hair grooming and teeth brushing.

Increased Decay Of Teeth

Caries is caused by bacteria in teeth plaque. These bacteria change sugar into acid, which damages the teeth. To prevent caries, it is therefore important to limit the frequency and amount of sugar intake and to remove teeth plaque from teeth surface. Fluoride in toothpaste can contribute to stronger teeth. Recent research demonstrates that people with Parkinsons tend to have more dental caries than other people.

Advice to prevent caries includes:

Try to limit sugary food to mealtimes only, and no more than four times a day.
Limit sugary drinks to mealtimes only. Tea or coffee should be taken without sugar between meals.
Do not rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth. This allows fluoride to continue to work to protect your teeth.
Try to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after brushing your teeth.

Recommended Reading: Walking With Parkinson’s Disease

What Are Weighted Utensils

Weighted utensils for tremors stabilize hand and arm control for Parkinsons patients or a related health condition.

Breakthroughs in treatment like the Parkinsons spoon highlights how it can improve the patients quality of life by providing them independence at mealtimes.

Today, it is now easier to receive expert care and find such adaptive technologies in the market!

References

Brian MK Allen. 2014. Smart Spoon for Parkinsons Sufferers. YouTube Video. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiVQcgmIi08.
Our Goal: An Urgently Needed Cure. 2021. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research | Parkinsons Disease. 2021. https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate/our-goal-urgently-needed-cure?smcid=bg-a1b1R0000086fO3& gclid=79be5cddea291baec7003dd0b7ef2638& gclsrc=3p.ds& msclkid=79be5cddea291baec7003dd0b7ef2638.
Tremor Fact Sheet | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 2021. Nih.gov. 2021. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Tremor-Fact-Sheet.

Do you have any questions about how the Parkinsons spoon works? Any tips? Share below.

How Might Parkinson’s Affect Teeth And Oral Health

Keeping teeth and gums healthy can be more difficult if you have Parkinsons disease. Motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia and rigidity, may hamper good daily oral hygiene care. Parkinsons disease can also effect the orofacial muscular system, causing difficulties in swallowing, chewing and controlling dentures. In addition, the oral environmental balance and the quality of the saliva can be influenced by medication.

The paragraphs below illustrate the most common problems related to the mouth in people with Parkinsons.

Great Product For Tmj And Mood Disorder

Just wanted to thank you all for the great product. I have a mood disorder and brushing my teeth has always been a struggle. During the pandemic it got so bad I developed TMJ from not taking care of my teeth. A dental hygienist in a Facebook group Im in recommended your product and I decided to give it a shot. I brush my teeth at least 50% more often now that I have this because of the ease of use and the fact it cuts down on gagging for me. My TMJ is beginning to improve for the first time.

Thanks for this great product. A lot of us disabled people can really benefit from tools like this.

Dental Risks Related To Parkinsons

Knowing about these PD-related dental challenges can help prevent future complications.

Parkinsons can alter face and tongue muscle function, affecting speech and chewing. Missing teeth can further hinder those abilities and may contribute to depression and unhealthy dietary adjustments.
Swallowing problems can accompany Parkinsons. Healthy teeth allow less labored and more effective chewing. Poorly chewed food can increase the risk of choking and aspiration, which can contribute to life-threatening pneumonia.
Inflamed gums can signal periodontal disease, which destroys the bone supporting teeth. A cavity is a breeding ground for bacteria that can easily infiltrate the bloodstream and harm other parts of the body.
Infected teeth and gums can harbor bacteria that may infect devices, such as deep brain stimulation electrodes, prosthetic hips and knees, vascular stents and grafts.
PD-related rigidity, tremor and dyskinesia can make it hard to brush ones teeth. These symptoms can also cause cracked teeth, tooth wear, changes in the fit and wear of dentures and tooth grinding.
Symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety and tremor can make the commute to appointments, sitting still in the dentists chair or opening the mouth wide challenging.
Too much saliva can lead to a fungal infection at the corners of the mouth. By contrast, too little saliva or dry mouth increases the risk of cavities.

Also Check: Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease Life Expectancy

Liftware Steady Utensil Starter Kit

For people whose tremors have not yet worsened, this spoon is excellent .

You also get a soup spoon, a joint spoon, and a fork all together with this set. It is equipped with sensors to measure unconscious hand movements, a microprocessor, and a motor to counteract such motions.

More importantly, a liftware spoon can reduce trembling by as much as 70%.

Avoid Food/drinks That Make The Tremors Worse

Hand Exercises for Parkinsons disease | Decrease Shaking

Too much coffee can make any person shake from hands to toes. So, if you have Parkinsons, you should avoid caffeine as much as possible since it can make your shaking worse.

You should also remove chocolate and other foods/drinks containing caffeine from your diet.

Also, pay attention to what you eat and how it influences your tremors so that you can adjust your diet.

Also Check: How Does Smoking Lower The Risk Of Parkinson Disease

Oral Health Disorders In Parkinsons Disease: More Than Meets The Eye

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Auffret, Manon a b * | Meuric, Vincent c | Boyer, Emile c | Bonnaure-Mallet, Martine c | Vérin, Marc a b d

Affiliations: Behavior & Basal Ganglia Research Unit , University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France | Institut des Neurosciences Cliniques de Rennes , Rennes, France | INSERM, INRAE, Université de Rennes 1, CHU de Rennes, Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer, Rennes, France | Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Pontchaillou University Hospital, Rennes, France

Correspondence: Correspondence to: Manon Auffret, PharmD, PhD, EA 4712 Comportement et Noyaux Gris Centraux, Campus de Villejean – Bât. 40L27, 2 Rue Henri le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes Cedex, France. E-mail: , ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7003-4084.

Keywords: Parkinsons disease, oral health, stomatognathic diseases, dentistry, microbiota, interdisciplinary research

DOI: 10.3233/JPD-212605

Journal: Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 1507-1535, 2021

Abstract

Bathing And Toileting Aids For Parkinsons Patients

The best solution for bathing is to add grab bars or tub rails. Installation is usually easy and the devices are relatively inexpensive. Use the grab bars or tub rails to steady yourself while bathing. In addition, add toilet rails around the toilet or raised toilet seats to prevent accidental falls when using the toilet.

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Towards Better Oral Health Awareness In Pd

Promotion of oral health awareness must be put on the agenda of movement disorders teams. Dentistry should be integrated into PD course of care, alongside neurology and other medical consultations . It is probable that patients would be more active in searching for access to oral care if they were aware of the link between oral and systemic health . Awareness-raising actions involving movement disorders teams, dental teams and PD patients associations are to be carried out.

Regarding clinicians education, oral health modules developed in cooperation with dentistry schools and targeted to neurologists and PD nurses should be considered, as previous experiences of integrating such educational programs into the medical curriculum were positively received . In order to enhance knowledge of PD oral and general specificities and limitations, dental students should join PD rounds in teaching hospitals whenever possible . PD modules targeted to educate dental students and update oral health professionals on caring for PD patients should also be created and routinely implemented. This would increase the cooperation between dentists and neurologists.

What Are The Different Types Of Tremors

Assistive & Adaptive Toothbrush Holder for Parkinson

To fully understand the arm movement assessment and how the weighted utensil works, I elaborated on common disease symptoms.

Ive included videos to help explain each one in a bit more detail.

Essential Tremor

Essential tremor common symptoms include trembling in the hands and arms that occur while moving or sitting.

Additional symptoms also occur as head tremors and can also cause a shaking sound if the voice box is affected.

Check out the video below for examples:

Dystonic Tremor

As NIH explains, a dystonic tremor occurs in people who are affected by dystoniaa movement disorder where incorrect messages from the brain cause muscles to be overactive, resulting in abnormal postures or sustained, unwanted movements.

NIH goes on to explain that this type of tremor is most common in young to middle-aged adults and that it can affect any muscle in your body.

This video does a good job of explaining it:

Cerebellar Tremor

Cerebellar tremors are easily seen and occur typically after a purposeful movement. Think pressing the button on your phone or typing on your keyboard.

Damage to the cerebellum the part of your brain responsible for most basic muscle movements- causes these types of tremors.

Its typically caused by strokes, tumors, and degenerative disorders like MS. Also, alcohol abuse can cause chronic damage to the cerebellum.

The video below focuses on this type of tremor in relation to Parkinsons disease.

Psychogenic Tremor

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Best Parkinson Spoon In : Top 3 Choices For Every Budget

Are you having trouble finding the best Parkinsons spoons?

Using the right spoon makes all the difference for Parkinsons patients, just like the right walking aid for seniors.

Fortunately, weve got your back with our amazing buying guide on Parkinsons spoons!

Check our quick list and comparison table for a quick guide. Read the review for further details.

Pd: An Impediment To Oral And Dental Care

Despite being aware of the importance of good oral care and displaying normal to high toothbrushing habits and yearly dental visits , PD patients do not seem to perform and receive sufficient quality of care. This could be related to the fact that PD has direct and indirect impact on oral health and hygiene. As highlighted in Fig. 1, the physical, psychological, and iatrogenic patterns associated with PD are predisposing factors of diminished oral health . PD severity and duration are both associated with an increased severity of orofacial and dental problems . Motor difficulties, cognitive deficiencies and behavioral changes compromise daily activities, reducing the quality and quantity of daily oral care and dental care utilization . Additionally, PD patients are more prone to falls, owing to several conditions, such as gait disorders, postural instability and orthostatic hypotension . Falls can in turn lead to maxillofacial trauma and traumatic dental injuries .

Fig. 1

The direct and indirect impact of Parkinsons disease on oral health and hygiene: contributing physical, psychological and iatrogenic factors.

Table 2

Antiparkinsonian treatments and dentistry: potential local and general side effects and drug interactions

Recommended Reading: Is Parkinson’s Disease Hereditary

Looking After Your Oral Hygiene When You Have Parkinson’s

Parkinsons can make it more difficult to look after your teeth and mouth health. Here we share tips for maintaining good oral hygiene.

Brush your teeth twice a day with a toothpaste containing at least 1350 ppm fluoride. Ask your dentist if you are not sure about the level of fluoride in your toothpaste they may be able to prescribe you a toothpaste with a higher concentration of fluoride.
Use a daily fluoride mouthwash at a different time to brushing.
Brush last thing at night and one other time during the day.
Try not to rinse your mouth after spitting out your toothpaste.

Your dentist may also advise a fluoride mouth rinse or gel to use when you are not brushing your teeth. This is important if you have a dry mouth as you are more likely to get tooth decay. They may also apply a fluoride varnish to your teeth, which strengthens the enamel.

The bacteria in plaque changes sugar into acid, which attacks your teeth. Cutting down on sugar in your diet can reduce tooth decay.

Try not to have more than 30 grams of sugar per day.

Plaque can build up on dentures, just as it does on natural teeth, causing irritation to the skin on the roof of your mouth, cheeks and gums. It may help you to do the following things.

Ask your dentist for advice if you have specific problems with your dentures.

Towards New Diagnostic And Predictive Tools: Landmark Symptoms And Biomarkers

What’s a simple, daily oral hygiene plan for people with Parkinson’s?

The chronology and combination of orofacial symptoms may give insights into disease progression . The Swedish Jönköping Parkinson Registry has recently highlighted that orofacial symptoms were correlated with PD severity, symmetry of motor disturbances, and autonomic disorders. The more severe orofacial burden was at baseline, the faster patients progressed to more advanced stages . As stated earlier, some orofacial symptoms occurs early in the disease course , whereas others are more apparent and frequent in advanced stages . Considering that only a few of these disorders have been thoroughly assessed in PD, more longitudinal studies with larger stratified samples are needed to further explore their predictive value. A recent Korean nationwide population-based cohort study has thus suggested that an increased number of missing teeth may be an important risk indicator of new-onset PD .

Q: How Can Medications Improve Oral Health

Generally speaking, medications for Parkinsons can improve oral care and oral health by improving movement and motor control. These medications allow people with Parkinsons to move with more precision and less effort which facilitates better oral care. Deep brain stimulation treatment often provides a similar effect by improving movement that can lead to better oral care.

There are no specific medications prescribed directly to improve oral health. However, your dentist may recommend special oral care devices, as well as specialized toothpastes or oral rinses. For example, an oral rinse called chlorhexidine gluconate can be very effective when used in conjunction with brushing and flossing. Chlorhexidine is preferable to many over the counter mouthwashes because it does not contain alcohol, which can exacerbate symptoms of dry mouth and irritate oral tissues. Please note that this oral rinse requires a prescription from your dentist.

Q: How Do Botulum Toxin Injections Affect Oral Health

In some instances, medications can be prescribed to control excessive saliva or drooling for people with Parkinsons. Sometimes these medications are not effective enough to satisfactorily control drooling. In that case, your physician might suggest injections of botulinum toxin. Small amounts of botulinum toxin are injected directly into the salivary glands inside the mouth in order to temporarily shut down saliva production. Typically, botulinum toxin is injected into the parotid glands and/or the submandibular glands. Parotid glands are activated during chewing and submandibular glands produce a significant amount of saliva . These injections can be an effective approach to addressing drooling and can provide relief for up to 3 months at a time. Another benefit may include keeping dentures properly sealed and reducing breakdown of the skin in the corners of the mouth.

Occasionally this approach can simply be too effective at reducing saliva production, causing dry mouth. As previously outlined in this article, dry mouth caused by lack of saliva can have a negative impact on oral health.

Tip!

Suck on sugar free hard candies or chew sugar free cinnamon gum to initiate saliva production.

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Mobility Aids And For Parkinsons Patients

Parkinsons patients who have problems with walking or standing, should consider investing in a mobility walker or rollator. They both are designed to help you steady yourself while walking or standing, and the rollator offers a convenient seat for resting.

These are just a few adaptive devices to aid Parkinsons patients. The use of these enable users to maintain their independence to perform daily living activities for themselves. There may be times when assistance from a caregiver or family member is required. In those cases, dont hesitate to ask for help.

Dressing And Grooming Aids For Parkinsons Patients

Essential hand tremors associated with Parkinsons disease make it challenging to button your shirt or brush your teeth. Just like the weighted eating utensils, there are weighted button aids and weighted universal holders. The weighted universal holder works with your toothbrush, razor, hair comb and hair brush. Just add any one of these personal grooming items to the weighted handle and it helps steady the hand for users to complete the task.

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Toothbrush For Parkinson’s Patients