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

[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.