3-2-2-Most Common Challenging Behaviors

• Assess the risk of self-injury or hurting others.
• Assess feasibility of performing oral care at the time.
• Use Rescuing and/or Distraction
• Reassure and help the person relax

• Assess if the person is sleepy or if another condition is causing the sleepiness
• Try a different time of day

Person may be tired of doing the same thing every day

• Try new products, flavors, colors
• Try music or any favorite activity
• Make it fun and be creative
• Asking the person what could be done to reduce boredom

Identify the best way to remind the person to perform oral care

• Set a timer
• Routine check-list
• Reminders such as sticky notes
• Verbal reminders after meals

• Touch person’s lip with the toothbrush. Ask the person to say “Ah” and demonstrate (open your mouth) to prompt opening
• Massage cheek to relax muscles
• Use the end of the toothbrush handle, or another mouth prop, between the teeth while brushing with another brush
• Start slowly brushing the outer areas of front teeth

• Ask the person to remove/replace their dentures
• Use opening mouth techniques seen in: Will Not Open Mouth
• For the lower denture, pull up gently while applying a rocking motion
• Avoid placing your fingers between biting surfaces of teeth
• Insert denture at an angle

For the upper denture, removal may be more difficult due to the surface area and stronger suction.

• Place your thumb against the lower edge of the person’s front teeth. Press upward and outward toward the person’s nose, or slide your fingers or thumbs in between the upper portion of the dentures, where they meet the gums, until the adhesive seal is loosened and the denture comes out easily.
• Try to press down with even pressure, although applying slightly more pressure to one side at a time if necessary is important.

See this video for further instruction (opens in a new tab/window).

Utilize Mouth Opening Techniques

• Use a mouth prop
• Have several toothbrushes on hand and let the person chew on one toothbrush (unless you fear the person is biting too hard) while the caregiver brushes with another
• Consult medical and dental professionals concerning tardive dyskinesia or other movement disorders

Do not respond to offensive language

Use Distraction and/or Rescuing 

The following slides are the most common challenging responses.

For all, utilize the Common Approaches to Challenging Responses and Communication Techniques  in the previous section.

Additional techniques are listed for each challenging response.