dental problems

[giddyup]

Hello fellow heppers, I've done two rounds of treatment and still have hep c. I have needed quite alot of dental work since being diagnosed and treating hep c.Yesterday I was told I have severe gum disease. I'm 42 years old. I'm seeing a periodontist tomorrow. I did a quick web check yesteday and found that there is an association between hep c and dental problems. Can anyone here share some expierence or knowledge on this suject? I was also just diagnosed with hep c related osteoarthritus

                                           Thank you

                                             Giddy up

[jornn]

I too have had serious problems with teeth since extended treatment. Decay, bone loss and gum disease. i have grown up with great diet and dental hygiene. Some dentists have no problem making the connection to treatment. Years later I am still having problems and will need to replace my teeth with implants and dentures.

[dontworry_behappy1]

When you mouth gets dry you are more likely to get tooth decay and gum disease.  When on treatment you shouldn't over brush your teeth.  It will cause them to bleed and become sore.  This only adding to the problem.
There are mouth washes like biotene that can help with germs and keeping your mouth moist.  

[lafayettelouisianadentist123]

Throughout therapy every single cavity I did started to be a main channel and a few connected with our teeth actually broke teeth together with fillings with out fillings... Interferon just eats these in existence as well as achieved it A whole lot more painful..

This is why the particular health professionals guide us to deal with our dentist issues immediately.

[orphanedhawk]

  Treatment affects our blood levels. Blood is made in our bones. If tx can make our bones ache can't it also affect our teeth? I don't know yet whether it helped or not, but I ate lots of yogurt. Maybe our cravings for icecream is our bodies wanting more calcium.  I wish there was more information about what, nutritionally, tx and HCV takes from our bodies.

[niceguy2007]

ITS BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS STUPID!!!

i had severe gum and periodontal problems in my short 4 year HCV infection.
my gums used to bleed 24/7 just like that.

one summer, i touched my newly developing wisdom tooth a couple of times with my finger.  guess what?  my cheek becamse infected and i took vibramycin, and it FAILED to kill the infection.  then i took CEPHLAXIN, which gave me diarrhea and intense jabbing liver area pain.  

a few months later, my front top gums filled with pus.  just like that.  and antibiotics didnt work.  then it would go away.  and come again.  antibiotics just stopped working.

next summer i was diagonsed with HCV.  treatment improved my gum condition and bleeding almost stopped.  now it has come back a bit post treatment, though not nearly as bad as pre tx.  i hope i'm not relapsing.

[whoaisme]

Hi, its me Whoaisme..Giddyup has spent  a lot of time at the dentist in the last two years and they have practically redone  his whole mouth..lots of root canals, bridges, crowns and who knows what else. he was seeing the dentist once a week for about a year...but he is nearing the final work..front teeth ! yeah! when they first saw him they suggested just pulling them all, and were talking about gum grafts and implants. they were able to save more than they thought so thats good. the key, aside from regular checkups seems to be to keep the saliva moving. the year on the daily infergen really took its toll. Our suggestion now to all new heppers on treatment..chew gum..sugarless (the dentist recommended Orbitz) all day and night as many hours as you can.24 if possible..and a good flouride rinse. whoaisme

[sunspot]

What a nice thread to bring back. Where the heck have some of the Vets gone? I wish them well. Has Jim gone?

[frijole]

giddy -- Not just November - but November 05. Apparently you can bring back an old post by commenting on that post.  However, you can only then see the post if you have your computer set to "last post" rather than "date started."  I keep mine on "date started" but switched over to see what was currently being posted on.  Interesting.  So how are your teeth nearly 2 years later?

My teeth are no worse for the 56 weeks of tx.  I have bad teeth and bad gums but go to the dentist every 4 months and have had major bridges, rootcanals and crown work done pre tx.  I had a couple of crwons done post tx, but they had been on the planning board for a few years.  I think going to the dentist frequently during tx is crucial and keeping you mouth salivated is important.

frijole

[giddyup]

why is my post from November here

[tjaloha]

I went to the dentist for a cavity about 3 wks ago, a few weeks later I was back in to have another one filled right in front of the last one.  Had just had x rays last march and was clean, 3-4 months later I am looking at 2 possible root canals, a crown and a few more small cavitied filled.

I went to another dentist, a well repsected USC grad here in the state.  He said that he sees this often with folks on chemo and the like.  Said that if before starting treatment you have "soft spots" on your teeth (those white blotchy marks) they are likely to turn into cavities while on treatment.  One suggestions was that when our mouths dry up, (and boy did mine ever in the beginning) we lose the protective enzymes in the saliva and our teeth deteriorate faster.  Very common he said.  

So he gave me samplers of a Biotene product for dry mouth.  (gum, mouthwash, toothpaste).  He also suggested I start using the mouthwash ACT and the flouride gel called Gel-Kam both OTC.  That later two to help build the protective coating on the teeth.

I talked with my hepatologist about tooth decay being a possible side effect.  He didn't think it was but I beg to differ.

Good luck all.
peace

[mikesimon]

I had severe mouth sores during TX. My tongue was terribly sore. I couldn't even think of eating a saltine cracker because it was too abrasive. And the insides of my cheeks would feel as if they were ulcerated and they very well may have been. But, those things resolved soon after I stopped TX and have not resurfaced. Mike

[nygirl7]

I have had significant gum problems for MANY years too.

During treatment every cavity I had became a root canal and a few of my teeth actually broke teeth with fillings without fillings...  Interferon just eats them alive and made it SO much worse..

That is why the doctors advise us to take care of our dental problems asap.

[DoubleDose]

Your comments are encouraging to tx'ers, in that maybe there is a way to avoid the dental issues through aggressive dental care etc.  I congratulate you on the solid dental bill of health!  You are fortunate indeed.  I still tend to think you may be the anomaly, and would like to see more responses from the board from those who share similar background stories to yours.  There must be others out there who have had few dental problems, either from the HCV and/or tx.

Maybe you have some pretty powerful genes when it comes to teeth!
Good luck to you, and good to hear from you.  I trust you are enjoying the summer.

While we are on the subject of dental issues, to everyone out there:  What about problems with mouth sores, chronic cheek eruptions, painful spots in the mouth in soft tissues, etc.???

I had some of this before tx, from time to time, but after tx, the mouth sores have been a chronic, and very irritating issue.  Anybody else dealing with these problems after tx?

DoubleDose

[jmjm530]

I had some significant gum problems around 15 years ago, due mainly to neglect (skipped a several years of dentistry including teeth cleaning LOL). A couple of operations fixed/tightened up the pockets and since then I've been on a 3-month tooth cleaning schedule like Mike. What a world of difference regular dental care/cleanings/home maintenance made in my case. No gum problems since, including treatment and post treatment. As to "mouth sores", "painful spots etc," I did have some minor flares during tx but nothing post treatment.

-- Jim

[mikesimon]

You know I have taken a lot of interferon and ribavirin and have had no dental issues whatsoever. I have been going to the same dentist for 27 years and I see him every 3 months for cleanings and exams. Maybe preventative dentistry has insulated me from these types of problems. BTW, my dentist cleans my teeth himself. He says he gets a chance to see what's really going on in there. He is a genius and an artist. Mike

[Kit-c]

--I too thought I was out to lunch,thinking that my teeth were and are falling apart because of Hep-c,

But it seems in the last 5 ,6 years, since I had really started to feel poorly with the Hep-c,
That I was way more often at the dreded Dentists,with way more bigger  yeeowieez in my
mouth,,,root canels,,,filling falling out and taking half the tooth with,, teeth getting pulled out,,ic.

It was not very smart of me getting a back tooth pulled out on Wensday,and then starting my TX ,and
first shot on thursday,my cheek is still swollen .............................
My Dentsit also has said I have gum disese(sp),,,

Like Meki says,,,I had nice strong teeth too,,,,,,,,at one time,.,.,
Oh well I guess there is always implants,,,,lots of $$$$$$$ tho......

See ya ,Gale

[DoubleDose]

I will just add to the list, that I have had major tooth problems from the time that I developed HCV.  Tx additionally made the gum and bone loss problems much worse, and I will need Perio surgery in the coming year.  In the past I have needed at least six root canals, and had previously lost teeth due to 'odd' infection, pain, and internal decay.  Fixed bridge work and implants have kept me in fairly good shape, but the perio and bone loss seems to have really gone berserk since my two tx'es.  

Almost everyone that I have ever talked with regarding the dental issues, who have also had HCV, all seem to have the same litany of problems.  After tx most seem to need lots of follow up dental and gum work.  I believe that the disease attacks the teeth through the naturally stimulated autoimmune process (just as it causes a Sjogren's like syndrome in many with HCV), and then that the tx greatly accelerates this autoimmune process, so that gum tissue, bone, and tooth nerves and pulp are under heavy attack by our own system.  I think this best explains these dental issues, as well as the host of other post-tx problems that frequently crop up.  Many are sx that we already had ,to some lesser degree,  before tx, as a result of the HCV infection and immune system process.

The other possibility is that the HCV virus itself actually attacks the tissues (tooth, bone, gum) and cause this syndrome.  This makes LESS sense, since the tx often clears the virus out, and the problems only seem to get worse.  Hence my belief that it is truly an autoimmune issue.

I do not buy the idea that everybody without HCV also develops these same problems in their 40's and 50's.  I know way too many people who have never had HCV who have very healthy teeth.  My dental issues are monumental compared to their history of issues.  How many HCV'ers and Tx'ers have had few dental issues???  I bet there aren't many out there!!

It truly is the HCV, and even more so, the tx, that is to blame.  

It is not a good situation, but I guess it is just one more thing that needs to be dealt with aggressively, so that we do not end up in horrible shape years down the road.

DoubleDose

[meki]

I'm hanging out with the tooth fairy.

Seriously - I had almost perfect teeth before HCV tx - and during TX I had to have a tooth pulled, some cavaties filled - and they say I'm going to have to keep coming back.

Sigh ---- I like my teeth ---- or did...

Oh well - the chompers have been chomped.

Meki
Ps. Maybe the interferon kills the good bacteria in the mouth that stops cavities?

[dlr2007]

I have bad teeth too- in thye last 2 years they've just been falling apart- quite literally. I'll be eating something (or chewing my Big Red gum- perhaps half the problem- ?)and I'll suddenly find a piece of a molar in my mouth. Awful! I've been going to the dentist now that I finally have insurance that covers it. For many years I didn't, and if it was a filling for me or school clothes for the kids... well, guess who won- lol. The little sh*ts gotta have their $70 sneakers y'know! I'm on a medication that some people say is bad for teeth so who knows... but I'm thinking it's more likely the Hep C, plus deep cavities, plus Big Red gum...  sure isn't fun though. I'm afraid tx might render me completely toothless! Oh ya, Forseegood, you're not the only one whose worries about hair loss are high on the list- I think I obsess about losing my hair more than any other sx.
  Azgrl's comment on the nurse with no gloves reminded me of one time when I went to an HIV testing clinic in the city. The nurse there didn't wear gloves either- and where could you find a higher-risk bunch of people than at an HIV testing site? I asked her if it scared her and she replied, no, it's not that easy to catch. Strange, huh? Oh well... just my 2 cents.
-Dee

[FormerLoser]

I have bad teeth and gums too but my parents had bad teeth. I also never stopped smoking 12 years ago when my gums started to recide- which causes and worsens gum problems... My teeth are also cracked  but so is my husbands and he is 3 years younger than me (I'm 37 ) and hep c negative.... Why couldn't God or mother nature etc... give us a new set of teeth at 40?

BTW if you have any kind of tongue or lip piercing this also can crack the teeth....

[GoofyDad]

I have high maintenance teeth too, but I attribute it to genes and bad care in my younger years. Just a young fellow with missaligned priorities - but mostly genes. Could be the Hep too, who knows. I had some bone grafting done, but that gum doc had plenty to keep her busy w/o relying on Hep C  pts, it seemed to me.  

[lilmoma]

I have not so good teeth to start with, so I'm pretty nervous about starting tx. I have been told by most (incl. my doc) that hair loss seems to be more of a female issue during tx. so let's see now,...........I can expect to go partially bald and probably lose what's left of my teeth. Like I dont have enough self esteeem issues already,.hehehe

lilmoma

[hep62pj]

yea i have lots of teeth problems too, amazing how many of us are in the same boat...also inherited soft teeth from my da but i think maybe all the years of drugs & drinking didnt help either...my gums bled a bit during tx and i was only on 6 months so i did not have to visit the dentist during tx, but right after i had to get 2 teeth pulled...and yes i told the dentist about the hep, anytime you might bleed around someone you should tell them...

[Forseegood]

I know I'm beating a dead pony here, but I talked to my dentist the other day and he said you can have even bone loss by the time youre in your late 40's early 50's even without hep c, many can and do. I know they are able to graft on gum for receding gums now, wonder how that effects the bone loss?

Of course years of partying isn't good for the old teefers, but I also think years on not flossing properly could even be even worse. Maybe one of the reasons partying is bad for the teeth is because if you go to bed wiped out high, youre less likely to brush and floss your teeth before bed, so the little bacteria are partying in your mouth so to speak. ha ha! Not good.

And of course, drugs can wreak havoc, anyone's bound to get Jerry Springer mouth if you use powdered drugs cut with god knows what.

I do worry about my teeth on treatment though, but maybe that's the least of it, I hope so. Hair is up there too, I'm ashamed to say.