Hello, this is my first time posting.
I’ve been taking Methotrexate (pens) and Yuflyma. Plus Hydroxychloriquine
I have been experiencing bleeding gums for some time now.
My teeth are becoming wobbly and my dentist said it’s because of the RA meds.
I really don’t want to come off the medication as I cannot go back to the pain I was in last year when nothing was working.
Does anyone have and experience of this and did you find anything that helped you?
thank you all for reading x
All you can do really is speak to your rheumy team …….& get their opinion on your dentists remarks. .
Some people do have problems with their teeth, but has your dentist offered any advice…or just uttered his pearls of wisdom & left it at that?
Hi, thanks for the reply. He hasn’t offered any advice really, apart from use Corsydle 😐 which doesn’t make any difference.
Also I hear from friends who have use that ..llit turns your teeth brown, , so beware!
I have bad gums and tooth loss but this was happening way before I was on RA meds, my teeth are all perfect, juat wont stay in my mouth. There is a thought that RA causes gum issues which I can believe, Ive not heard that meds do though. My dentist recommended a deep clean at the hygienist and this has definitely helped. I told the hygienist I used corsodyl and she advised me not to and said that salt water rinses were better than corsodyl.
Agree with all of the above Mouthwash in general just seems to add problems.Never had this with MT X but RA could be damaging your jaw bone.I'm surprised the dentist didn't do some exrays! As they normally like to add to there bill😂! Contact your Rheumatologist and they may have to switch biologics.
Hope you find some relief
This is a LONG article on Mouthwash….as you say it is very likely it can cause problems!
Hi, my last visit to my hygienist asked if I was feeling well and said my gums were bleeding too much and to go to my doctor. Blood tests showed I had chronic kidney disease and also was very low in vitamin D. I’m on tablets for my vitamin D deficiency and getting my bloods checked every month just now. I have a blood cancer as well and it was my haematologist that discovered this. My hygienist cleaned my teeth thoroughly and gave me the dental brushes to keep using and honestly between doing all this, they have vastly improved. I’m seeing her again next week so I’m hoping she also thinks I have improved. I pay for private hygienist as I found my dentist just skimmed over my teeth, hygienists have more time and clean your teeth much better. It might be worth investigating a bit more in case it’s not your tablets. I’m on hydroxy as well but not your other medication.
My daughter's bleeding gums were cured by hygenist and perio specialist to make sure there was no permanent going on. It worked, but she had to go every 6 months to see hygenist. It was expensive. Perio London, Queen Anne Street in London not far from John Lewis in Oxford Street.
There is a connection with gum disease and RA. Best to have a chat with your hospital team. Although mine don't bleed they can become sore. For that I visit a hygienist every 3 months.
Happened to me too. Ended up having a ton of implants in the end. Which to be fair gave me back my confidence. But yes, I had the same thing happen.
I use MXT and Hydroxychloroquine and my gums aren't too bad. I have had issues with my teeth in recent years and after a couple of years pushing they have diagnosed me with Trigeminal Neuralgia on both sides of the face, which is quite unusual. But this was before I was diagnosed with RA, about 2 years before.
I asked my GP for a referral to Maxillofacial specialist and after some wait got an appointment with a very nice man. I am not sure how long the wait is but you can go private if you can afford it.
when I took methotrexate I lost 4 teeth and suffered constantly from mouth ulcers. Since changing my medication I have had less dental problems. I also had hair loss which has now improved as well. I hope that this helps
I have had quite bad haiross whilst on methotrexate. May I ask which medication you now take? I know that a lot of the medications cause hair loss and it would be good to know which might not. Thanks
Please try and see a perio dental specialist first before coming off any meds.
I see my dentist every 4 months because of RA affecting my gums - not teeth. My gums get inflamed every so often just like I get travelling inflammation on any part of my body. My dentist has a list of all the meds I'm on and she pointed out that Alendronic acid can affect the teeth/gums. I'm not sure your rheumatologist would be empathetic because they seem focused on joint issues rather than anything else. I hope you get some relief soon.
Have your routine blood monitoring bloods been ok? If they aren’t showing any problems with your liver or blood count, especially platelets then that is a bit reassuring. I have been on methotrexate and adalimumab(yuflyma) for my RA several years ago but never experienced any bleeding of the gums. Have you discussed the problem with your rheumatologist? If not it is worth doing so. Your dentist seems to be blaming your RA meds but if recent blood tests are all normal it isn’t really justified to blame them.
As well as RA ,I have gum inflammation and bleeding.I also have bowel issues that have not been given a validated label. I visit the hygenist every 3 months and am fastidious over dental hygiene. If my gums are bad or my bowel is troublesome, my RA is worse. I have read that a particular bacteria in the mouth might trigger RA. At the moment there does not seem to be a solution to eradicate this bacteria. My rheumatologist told me that historically patients with RA would have all their teeth pulled out, as doctors thought this is where the problem began. They don't do this today, and I doubt it worked in any case. All you can do is visit the hygenist regularly and act on their advice.
Bleeding after Methotrexate injection 
Tapering off Biologics. 
Cracked and bleeding fingers
Painful gums/teeth, can it be connected?
A big thank you!!!
