Oral Health›Everyday care

Caring for Someone Else's Teeth

A practical guide for family members and carers who help a child or adult with a disability, dementia or frailty to look after their mouth, from brushing and dentures to spotting pain and finding dental care.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·8 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • Let the person do as much as they can. Step in gradually: reminders, then guiding their hand, then brushing for them.
  • If you brush for them, sit them upright with their head supported, wear gloves and use a soft brush with a small amount of fluoride toothpaste, angled towards the gumline.
  • Someone who cannot say they are in pain may show it: refusing food or mouth care, touching their face, restlessness, poor sleep or aggression. Check their mouth and contact a dentist.
  • Take dentures out before sleep, clean them, and mark them with the person's name.
  • If a general dental practice cannot meet the person's needs, ask about special care or community dental services, which may include home visits.

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust lists learning disabilities, autism, dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis and mental illness among reasons adults may need help with mouth care. The US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) says tooth decay is common in people with developmental disabilities, and gum disease occurs more often and at a younger age. This guide goes further than our article on oral health in older age. For particular conditions, see dementia and oral health, stroke and oral health and mouth care at the end of life.

How much help does the person need?

The Wirral trust says to encourage independence as much as possible. The Alzheimer's Society advises helping when someone struggles but not taking over completely. Ways to support someone who can still brush:

  • Set things up. Leave the brush and toothpaste out, put the toothpaste on, or brush your own teeth alongside them so they can copy (NIDCR, Dementia Australia). Break the task into small steps.
  • Share the brushing. The Australian Dental Association describes guiding the brush with your hand over theirs, "chaining" (you start, they finish) and "bridging" (they hold one brush while you brush with another).
  • Make the brush easier to hold with foam tubing or a larger grip, a strap or band, or a powered brush (NIDCR). Take a grip off and clean it at least once a week.

Getting ready and finding a good position

NIDCR suggests somewhere with space and good light, such as a kitchen table, with the brush, toothpaste, a towel, a bowl and a glass of water within reach. The person should be sitting in a chair or upright in bed, and you should be where you can see all the teeth and gums: in front, to the side or behind (NIDCR, Dementia Australia). The Wirral trust suggests standing behind them in front of a mirror, with their head supported and chin tucked.

Explain what you are going to do and ask permission if they can still consent (Dementia Australia). NIDCR recommends "tell, show, do" and the same time and place each day.

Brushing someone else's teeth, step by step

Based on NIDCR's sheet for carers and the Alzheimer's Society:

  1. Wash your hands and put on disposable gloves.
  2. Take out any dentures.
  3. Wipe away food from between the teeth and cheeks with a gloved finger or damp gauze.
  4. Use a soft brush and a small (pea-sized) amount of fluoride toothpaste pressed into the bristles. If toothpaste bothers them, NIDCR says to use water. For someone with swallowing difficulties, the Alzheimer's Society suggests a non-foaming toothpaste. For children, see children's teeth.
  5. Angle the bristles towards the gumline and brush in small circles on the inside, biting and outside surfaces of every tooth, then brush the tongue.
  6. Take about 2 minutes, in stages if needed (Wirral trust, Alzheimer's Society).
  7. If you can, clean between the teeth with interdental brushes or a floss holder. See cleaning between your teeth.
Rinse or not?

The sources differ. The Alzheimer's Society and the Wirral trust say to spit out the toothpaste but not rinse, to leave fluoride on the teeth. NIDCR says that if the person cannot rinse, give them a drink of water or sweep the mouth with a finger wrapped in damp gauze. Ask their dentist.

If they bite, clench or refuse

  • Two-brush technique: hold the cheek back with the handle of one brush while you brush with the other (NIDCR, Alzheimer's Society).
  • Lips or cheeks in spasm: Dementia Australia suggests a brush bent back at 45 degrees, slid into the corner of the mouth to lift the cheek.
  • Try another time, such as after lunch (American Dental Association, ADA). The Alzheimer's Society says a person can refuse, and it may be worth trying later.

The ADA says that if someone keeps resisting brushing, they may be in pain.

Dentures

For everyday denture cleaning, see our older age article. Also:

  • Take them out before sleep, including naps. The ADA says dentures may dislodge and cause choking.
  • Brush all surfaces, especially around the clasps (Alzheimer's Society). It warns that denture cleaning tablets can be very harmful if mistaken for something to eat, so keep them out of the way.
  • Mark them with the person's name, especially in residential care or hospital (Alzheimer's Society, Australian Dental Association). Lost dentures are common and replacements can take many weeks (Alzheimer's Society).
  • Watch the fit. Dementia Australia says poorly fitting dentures can cause pain, and clasps on partial dentures can damage the mouth and tongue if they catch.

Dry mouth

Dementia Australia and the Australian Dental Association say medicines, including some used for dementia, can reduce saliva. Signs include cracked lips, stickiness on the cheeks or tongue, and dried saliva (Alzheimer's Society). Check they drink enough, and offer frequent sips of water, sugar-free gum if safe, dry mouth gels or sprays, and lip balm (Alzheimer's Society); Dementia Australia suggests spraying water into the mouth. See dry mouth and medicines that affect your mouth.

Signs of pain in someone who cannot tell you

The Alzheimer's Society says people in the later stages of dementia may not be able to understand their pain or ask for help. Signs it lists include:

  • struggling to eat or refusing food, especially hard, very hot or very cold food
  • frequently touching their face or mouth, or a swollen face
  • leaving their dentures out
  • restlessness, moaning or shouting, or disturbed sleep
  • refusing mouth care, or behaving aggressively

An NHS children's service in Norfolk notes that children with additional needs may not be able to express toothache either.

The Alzheimer's Society says not to dismiss these as part of dementia: check the mouth, arrange a dental visit, and note when the signs started and whether painkillers helped.

Getting dental care

NIDCR suggests a "get acquainted" visit with no treatment, and taking a list of medicines and allergies. The Norfolk service suggests asking for a double appointment. The Alzheimer's Society and the ADA suggest seeing a dentist soon after a dementia diagnosis, while treatment is easier to tolerate.

UK

  • The NHS says people with additional needs should be able to get care from a general dental practice, and may be referred to special care dentistry for specialised treatment.
  • The Alzheimer's Society says someone whose dentist can no longer manage may be referred to a community dental service, and a dentist may be able to visit at home (domiciliary care).
  • A Kent NHS trust says referrals for home visits can come from a health professional, the patient or a carer, and NHS charges apply unless the person is exempt.
  • On consent, the Alzheimer's Society explains that under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 the dentist assesses whether the person can decide; if not, someone legally authorised, such as a health and welfare Lasting Power of Attorney, may decide in their best interests.

Australia

  • The Australian Dental Association says specialists in special needs dentistry work in some states and territories.
  • Dementia Australia suggests a dental hospital for people eligible for public dental care. Western Australia, for example, runs a special needs clinic and a home-visit service.

US

  • NIDCR says most people with mild or moderate developmental disabilities can be treated in a general dental practice.
  • The ADA says long-term care facilities must by law provide routine and emergency dental care; ask who does daily mouth care and whether they are trained.

For help with costs, see dental costs and help.

When to see a dentist
  • The person shows signs of mouth pain, is eating less, or keeps refusing mouth care.
  • Their gums are red, swollen or bleeding for more than a few days, the corners of the mouth are cracked or sore, or you see red or creamy white patches (Alzheimer's Society).
  • Their dentures are loose, broken, lost or making their gums sore.
  • Their mouth stays dry after home measures have been tried (the NHS suggests seeing a GP).
Get help urgently
  • A swollen face or jaw, a high temperature or intense pain may be a dental abscess. In the UK the NHS says to ask for an urgent dental appointment or contact NHS 111.
  • Call 999 or go to A&E (or your local emergency number) if they are finding it hard to breathe, speak, swallow or open their mouth, or have a lot of swelling in the mouth (NHS).

Frequently asked questions

What if the person has difficulty swallowing?

NIDCR says to brush with water if toothpaste bothers them. The Alzheimer's Society suggests a non-foaming toothpaste and says the dentist can advise.

Why does mouth care matter for someone in bed?

The ADA says bacteria from the mouth can be inhaled and cause pneumonia, and the Australian Dental Association links thorough daily cleaning with a lower risk of this in older people.

Can a dentist visit at home?

Sometimes, for people who cannot get to a surgery (Alzheimer's Society). The Kent NHS trust says not every treatment can be done at home, and the first visit is often an assessment only.

Sources

  1. Oral health care for adults requiring assistance: advice for carers, Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, accessed September 2026
  2. Dental domiciliary service, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, accessed September 2026
  3. Oral health for children with additional needs, Just One Norfolk (East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust), accessed September 2026
  4. How to find an NHS dentist, NHS, accessed September 2026
  5. Dental abscess, NHS, accessed September 2026
  6. Dry mouth, NHS, accessed September 2026
  7. Dental and mouth care, Alzheimer's Society, accessed September 2026
  8. Supporting a person with dementia to keep a healthy mouth, Alzheimer's Society, accessed September 2026
  9. Dentures and dementia, Alzheimer's Society, accessed September 2026
  10. Dental treatment and dementia, Alzheimer's Society, accessed September 2026
  11. Dementia and its effect on oral health, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  12. Dental care, Dementia Australia, accessed September 2026
  13. Special services, Dental Health Services, Government of Western Australia, accessed September 2026
  14. Brushing: information for caregivers (PDF), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, accessed September 2026
  15. Developmental disabilities and oral health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, accessed September 2026
  16. The caregiver's guide to dental health, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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