This may or may not be an odd one, but for almost a year now I've been experiencing a horrible deterioration of my teeth. I've had issues with fun GERD so that may be a contributor. But I've had the digestive issues for years, the dental issue is very recent.
I've asked my Neuro, who is an MS specialist, and she has said she's not heard of MS causing dental problems. It honestly looks like the enamel is peeling off my teeth in several spots as well as some chipping. I've had great teeth until now. No cavities til I was 22.
Maybe it is completely unrelated, but I thought I would put it out there and see if anyone has experienced anything like this. I guess you never know until you ask.
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titanicdoll
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Some people find erosion of enamel with certain meds, as well as GERD. I have issues with cracking of my teeth, apparently due to extreme pressure. Is that excessive pressure due to MS muscle tightness? Who knows? I'm having my bit corrected, and when that is done, I'll wear a protective guard at night. I'm sure you're very careful with caring for your teeth.
i have had problems with my teeth but no one wants to say it is from my MS meds or anything to do with it ...good luck i don't know anymore about it ...sorry keep looking into it ..there are lots of MS web pages check them out and see what you can find out ...have a great day filled with loads of love and laughter ...
I had some several dental issues that I attributed to copaxone. I'm doing better on Ocrevus and am also more diligent about six month dental check-ups.
Iona60 I think a lot of my dental issues are from when I was Copaxone as well. I'm now on Tecfidera so I hope they are behine me now. Especially now that I'm starting to get things fixed with my new dentist
Thanks Iona60 So far I have been doing well but my white cell numbers have dropped so we will have to see if they go back up the next time I get blood work done or I may have to change to something else. Always something
bxrmom I had trouble with my white blood cell ( lymphocyte) count while on Gilenya. According to the Mayo Clinic website, protein and green tea will help to increase them. It did for me.
Oh wow. I started on Copaxone in the beginning, but I switched to Gilenya in the fall if 2015. I had a fun allergy to the main ingredient in Copaxone. Gotta love it. I hated the shots and how much it would sting afterwards.
Although I've been on Avonex for more than 22 years, I suspect my recent trips to the dentist have been more related to erosion of old fillings, etc., as I'm now in my early 50's. No one told us that dental work doesn't last a lifetime! Sheesh!
If the GERD has been longstanding it may have been causing a low level of damage which has been cumulative over time and it is only now that it is becoming apparent - e.g. it takes many years for a river to carve a gorge because it is a very slow process.
If you have been using quite a few antacids to help with the GERD - these can negatively affect your teeth. Ditto with the possibility that there could be a cumulative effect which wasn't showing up before now.
Another thought is to look at your diet, e.g. have you perhaps stopped drinking carbonated drinks which are very high in sugar and swapped them for fruit juices - which some people think are "healthier" but which are actually still very high in sugar plus having a higher acidity content in most case (e.g. swapped Coke for orange juice).
Yes!!! Up until I was diagnosed, I had remarkably white teeth. Then over the next 10 years, the enamel either melted away or got brown. It was so disturbing that I withdrew from people so they wouldn't see my teeth after a neighbor exclaimed "What happened to your teeth?" My dentist couldn't explain it. Neither could my neurologist. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated! I haven't taken any MS meds because I have Primary Progressive & my diet is a healthy one.
If you have taken steroids during relapses, that can cause that. Most of my issues have been because of lost fillings etc. but within a month of taking steroids I lost two teeth. They didn't deteriorate, they just suddenly weren't there.
Didn't even think of the steroids, though it had been quite some time since I had to have them. It was in the very beginning of my journey with MS that I had to have them frequently.
I noticed that my teeth have changed. When I ran my tongue against the back of my front teeth I noticed a difference. I haven't gone to the dentist because Medicare doesn't pay for dentist visits.
I have found an organization that provide free dental and vision things that Medicare doesn't cover. You can free services from the providers if you qualify.
Two dentists have told me that I have dey mouth, I am allergic to the sweetener in Biotene. I only have two allergies that I know of and boy do they cause issues. Latex and artificial sweeteners. Grrr. 99% of dental products I can't use. 🙁
my teeth are a mess, i have had to wear dentures since the early 2000s. maybe it has to do with not enough vitamin D. I also have trigeminal myalgia. maybe there's a connection, because it starts in my mouth, and is exacerbated by the denture. i take gabentin (neurontin) at night before sleep (as if), increasing the dose slowly from 600 to 2400, etc. until the pain's gone. used to have good straight teeth too, growing up. And yes, Gerd, too, acid eating the enamel. I use Sensodyne toothpaste and Oral B mouth rinse for sore gums, anf ACT rinse for cavities.
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