Denture Cleaning Blog #3

Showing up to Assist Living in Raynham in a long time, I walked through through the automatic doors greeted by eight elderly people enjoying the warm weather outside. The front desk lady led us back to the familiar utility room, where I met one the ladies whose upper denture I cleaned a month ago. She quickly remembered us and I talked about the sunny weather outside and our services. Another lady slowly walked in the room, using a walker to move efficiently. She showed me the bottom row of her "teeth" and empty row in the gums. She had an upper denture, but her bottom row had nothing. I questioned myself why this occurred, but I quickly resumed to the task at hand. I talked with the first lady more often, because of her outgoing nature, but the one with the walker talked a little too. Again, communication was what bonded us together. We only had two patients, but we connected, something far more valuable than having many patients and not having a great time together.

Instead of just cleaning their dentures, my siblings and I encouraged the two ladies to follow the steps of using a tablet in a cup to properly sanitize the denture. Though I expect they won't clean it everyday, I do respect their efforts to. Edentulous people aren't just missing teeth, most are missing a true connection with others, because of their confinement to the nursing home or assisted living. By cleaning their dentures, I seek to not only clean, but connect with these neglected people. Just like Jesus, I should go out of my way just for the sake of others.