At this rate I'll be toothless by spring! :(

[Rena705]

Just wondering if anyone is have dental problems as a result of your medication?  I had another molar break off at the gumline and had the rest of it pulled on Friday.  Tonight I was flossing my teeth and a nice big chunk of my incisor came out.:'(

Now that will be 5 upper teeth I have lost in the last two years.  3 in the last 5 months at least.  I don't know what to do because at the rate I am going they will all eventually come out so there is no sense in fixing them.  I can't physically handle any more dental work...it sends my TN into a tailspin and I can't take the pain.  Has anyone had any dental problems as a result of dry mouth or just your meds?  Thanks for any response I can get!

Lots of hugs,
Rena

[Rena705]

Everyone has been awesome on this topic!  I have never found anywhere like this forum to get right down to the nitty gritty of things and just deal with them.  
So far so good as far as losing any more teeth but then it's only been 7 days!  ha ha  
I have had the thought of losing all my top teeth going through my mind all weekend and it is really upsetting.  I am 49 years old and to some that is ancient but when all your friends are older than you and they still have all their teeth it just seems like yet another round lost to this STUPID MS!!!!
I realize there are others here that are having problems very similar to mine and I am wondering if any of you can just sit and watch this happen without getting upset.  Yesterday I was fighting tears all day and today I want to punch a hole in a wall...soooo angry and no one to blame...when I think of it now it's probably just a big waste of energy.  I guess I just needed to vent and I am sure appreciative that this forum is available to scream, stomp my feet, roll on the floor flailing arms and legs...you know, a good old fashioned hissy fit!!  Ahhh, I feel much better now!  he he  
Now I have to wait to get an appointment with this specialist and who knows when THAT will happen.  I think the thing that is bothering me the most is the high possibility that the specialist is gonna say there is no saving them anyway and I have to wait weeks thinking about the process.  It seems that stress has a lot to do with my STUPID MS symptoms so I hope this doesn't throw me to the STUPID MS wolves.  
Well I better go before I start really cursing and swearing about that STUPID MS.  Thanks for letting me vent...I needed that for sure!

Hugs,
Rena

[meg321]

I have lost almost all of my teeth due to dry mouth, I don't make my own saliva and that causes your teeth to rot.....period !!

Just try to keep your mouth moist and use the dry mouth products..

meg

[Sailorsong]

I have almost every upper tooth broken or already pulled and1/4 of my lowers are broke due to dry mouth. The way my one dentist explained it to me is that with a dry mouth Your body isn't able to take care of fight off the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

In my case it has been a combination of medications that dry your mouth and Sjogren's syndrome that has cause my dental problems. The only good thing is that so far ( knock on wood ) when the teeth have broken ( a couple right at the gum line) I have had no pain. Makes me wonder if that one is a blessing of having MS? (ie numb teeth?) :) Of course on the other hand  I also tend to bite my tongue quite often which does hurt.

Dennis

[anon07072023]

Thanks for the advice Rena. I went ahead and scheduled an appt with my dentist for next week.  I hope you don't have to lose all of your teeth.

-Kelly

[danawe]

I let my dentist know as soon as I was DX'ed.  He gave me things to look for -  among them dry mouth and told me the second they appeared to let him know -    There is a Rx to combat it.

My problem is at night I have several teeth that hurt -  Different ones at different times.  The DDS is on the list for next week.  

Good Luck!  Dana

[Rena705]

WELL...this is getting to be a long drawn out issue!  

I saw my gp today and she is sending me to a specialist at the University Hospital and hopefully he will be able to tell me whether or not my teeth are worth trying to save.

She said that she doubted the inhalers were the problem...I attended a Lung Function clinic a few years back and we were trained how to use our inhalers and how to rinse afterward and I do this faithfully so while it might have a teensy little bit of bearing in this situation...she doesn't feel it's the cause.

We discussed the low calcium level and she said it really was just border line and I drink at least 4 cups of milk per day so I don't need a supplement.

We discussed the low protein and she feels that the dietician can help me improve my intake of protein to rectify the problem.

She checked my file and apparently I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in my hands...not Osteoporosis...so that isn't an issue.

However, what is an issue is the dry mouth caused my Amitriptyline and the bladder meds I am on.  

Also, I have been on Tegretol since 1993 in varying doses and she feels that TEGRETOL is the culprit and that being said, she feels that it's unlikely that I will be able to keep my upper teeth.  

So, now I will wait to see this specialist and then decide whether or not to have all my teeth out at once.  I don't look forward to it but this "one tooth out at a time" is way too much for me.  With the neuropathic pain I am now experiencing in my feet the trauma of dental work will only make it worse I am sure.   So now it's just to wait and see what the specialist says.  I think I have been to just about every "ologist" now haven't I?  

I will keep in touch and let you know the results...anyone want to come hold my hand if I get all my top chompers out?  Ewwwww...the thought sends chills down my spine!

Lots of Hugs,
Rena

[Rena705]

Hey there!  Geez, and I thought I had it bad...so sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time!  
Are you on the puffers with steroids?  I am on Symbicort and Ventolin.  I am very careful about rinsing and brushing and all that but it seems that I also have against me the meds that I have to take in order to function.  They apparently hinder my ability to absorb calcium, protein etc.  You have a lot more reason to be worried I would say.  I would say that you should talk to your doc about this as well...maybe one of us will get some answers.  I hope this puffer thing doesn't turn out to be yet "another" thing against you my dear...you  have enough on your plate!  I will be sure to report what I learn and in the meantime if you hear anything I would appreciate you letting me know.  Take Care!

Hugs,
Rena

[summerluvr]

I take asthma puffers and no one said anything about them affecting your teeth!

Because Multiple Myeloma eats calcium from your bones, and actually makes holes in your bones I'm on a medication called Pamidronate.  It is like an Osteoporosis med at 100x the dose.  I get it once a month IV for two years and then I can stop taking it until a relapse or more damage shows up. It can cause a horrible jaw condition where your bone gets sick and dies and there is no treatment.  Because of this I have to go to the dentist every three months for preventative .  As a dental phobic person this is really hard for me. But If I have a tooth extracted or any major work it is a known trigger for Osteonecrosis of the jaw.

my stem cell transplant (high dose chemo) caused my gums to recede a bit and now Ihave exposed roots and sensitivity (common from chemo).  I had a breakdown in the chair and demanded they stop and that I was leaving (after an hour of her picking and telling me how bad my teeth are they then decided to start "probing").  ***** man.

[Rena705]

I grind my teeth at night too but this is different in that my teeth are basically disintegrating...they just fall apart above the gum line and what's below the gumline is not much better when they pull it.

Rena

[Rena705]

Well I had a good visit with my hot Neuro!  He is so awesome and that Italian accent is a killer!

Anyway, I explained to him about the problem I am having with my teeth and the fact that my protein and calcium levels are low and my gp was going to send me to a dietician.  I also reminded him of the inhaled steroids that I take and the Osteo diagnosis I had a couple of years ago.  

He responded that for starters, the problem I have is not going to be fixed by a dietician.  (we laughed at that one)  He wants me to see my gp and inform her of everything I have said here and ask her if she thinks there is a problem.  If she doesn't, I am to go back to see him.  

He feels that the Solumedrol infusions probably don't have anything to do with it since I had them a long while ago.  He feels that the meds I am on are making it difficult for my body to use the protein and calcium that I am getting through food.  He feels that I may need something like a shot of testosterone and it would help my body utilize these vitamins.  He also stated that the Osteo is a definity possibility as well and that I need to remind my gp of that as well.  He said that the inhaled steroids were probably a huge factor in the problem and he thinks that if I can get some help with this sooner than later I may be able to save my remaining teeth.  This was a huge relief that I at least have some hope right?!  So to me it was a successful appointment as far as the issue with my teeth go.  
I hope that my experience can be of help to some of you and I will keep updating as to my results.  Thank you so much for all of your responses and Kelly...don't put off that appointment with the dentist though ok?  Because of the dry mouth we get cavities a whole lot quicker and after the fillings come the root canals etc. etc.  You need to nip it in the bud and be under a dentists care and he/she need to be very aware of your dry mouth problem.  

Lots of Hugs,
Rena

[HVAC]

I have to wear a bite guard. My MS clonus makes me involuntarily bite all the time and I have broken teeth.

Alex

[anon07072023]

Oh wow, all of this is what I worry about.  I'm sorry you all had to go thru this. I get dry mouth all the time with my MS meds. I've been using Biotene to help out with it.  I'm still very afraid that next time I go to the dentist they're going to tell me bad news.  

Take care,
Kelly

[Rena705]

Well, after thinking about your responses, I came to the conclusion that I am not taking into account the fact that I use inhaled steroids for COPD/Asthma control.  I rinse faithfully afterward to avoid getting thrush but perhaps it's not enough to avoid tooth decay.  I believe my last Solumedrol infusion was in February 2009 and I think I have only had 3-4 infusions in total so maybe it's not so much the Solumedrol.  I guess I will have to wait a couple hours to see what the neuro says and I will let you know what he says.  Thank you for your responses though...I never would have thought that Osteo would affect your teeth!  Talk soon!

Lots of Hugs,
Rena

[Sumanadevii]

I didn't develop osteoporosis as a result of steroids but did develop dry mouth which took all my upper teeth.  According to my neuro it took one cavity that then ran with an infection taking all of them within two months.  I had a beautiful set before the infection.  It was too painful for me to fight anymore so I did consent to them being taken.

I was on my seventh ivsm that I took monthly for three or four days.  They kept me from a relapse but took my teeth!

[beema36]

Yes I have. I developed osteoporosis as the result of the steroids I was given. My dentist tells me this is why I lost a tooth. I also cant take the meds for osteoporosis because they are afraid I would develop the jaw problems.  Yours sounds way worse than mine though.