Hypothyroid & bad or worsening teeth: Here’s a... - Thyroid UK

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Hypothyroid & bad or worsening teeth

chimonger profile image
19 Replies

Here’s a question about teeth, & thyroid problems:

Have others experienced their teeth suddenly...(within a few to several months of having a substitute thyroid supplement)...get worse cracks, pieces breaking off, & feel seeming to demineralize & dissolve?

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chimonger profile image
chimonger
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19 Replies
Pixipot profile image
Pixipot

Funny you say this I've noticed just today an unusual very slight discoloration on 1 or 2 of them and a little chip here and there. I've also had a weird taste in my mouth over the last week, I'm feeling really pissed off as my teeth was one of my body parts that had done well over the years, having nice teeth was my thing...boo hoo😭 is there any good news these days.

chimonger profile image
chimonger in reply to Pixipot

My teeth have had visual cracking, & glass-clear edges being more or less noticeable, for decades. Never understood how that fluctuated, until doing oil pulling w/coconut oil. That always seemed to strengthen teeth, reduce visual cracks, & totally fixed the glass-clear edges.

I’d heard of low thyroid messing up teeth like that, but no docs would ever talk about it..they didn’t know...trying to find it in literature is a challenge, too.

Even with all that, my teeth seemed doing well enough...until a pharmacist with bad attitude, substituted, using manmade thyroid for the natural desiccated thyroid I’d been using for decades. Within a few months, a big chunk of tooth broke off, cracks lots more noticeable, edges of teeth rapidly turning clear...... and then learned, there was “silent reflux” at night....had never had that.....so the back molars started quickly dissolving away but only the top & forward surfaces.

Within several months, that changed thyroid Rx appears to have really wrecked several teeth, to the point of needing thousands of $$$$ work done.

Can’t get it done due to quarantine.

Stimulus checks are a drop in the bucket.

Very unhappy with the predatory Pharma & insurers trying to force all thyroid patients to only get mingy testing, & only get manmade thyroid replacements!!

It just doesn’t work well for everyone, because of so many hormone & nutrition interrupting chemicals blocking things. But industries do want their profits. This sure feeds plenty of those.

Sure would be good for people to talk about this...the deteriorating teeth, & reflux that happens, when thyroid isn’t working right. The solution is NOT always to increase dose, but to change the replacement.

...Sadly, there are still Docs who tell their thyroid patients: “Don’t expect reduction in low-thyroid symptoms, just because you’re taking thyroid supplement/replacement.” .....Clearly, those do Not know how much harm they are causing, by giving wrong kind, wrong dose, and poor testing.....much less that advice!!😱

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to chimonger

They don't know an they don't care!

Are you sure you have 'silent reflux'? I often think that's just something doctors say when they don't know what's going on, but want to look as if they do. But, if you really are having something like that, it's probably due to low acid, not high. The problem could be solved by raising the level of stomach acid.

I've had problems with my teeth all my life - especially since my first pregnancy. I don't know when exactly I became hypo because I wasn't ever tested until I was 55, but I suspect I was about 8 years old when it started. Over the years, my teeth have slowly disintegrated and now I have very few left. I'm 75, now.

I didn't connect it to thyroid until about ten years ago, when I read a hypo dentist posting on another forum, saying that teeth need good levels of thyroid hormone, as well as good nutrients, to be strong. And, if the thyroid hormone isn't there, then they will just slowly disintegrate. I live in France and it's very difficult to find a good dentist here, but even the good ones I've seen know nothing about teeth needing thyroid hormone. I actually got into quite a row with one who insisted I was talking rubbish and the real problem was I never clean my teeth! Dentists, like doctors, can be very stupid.

So, yes, it's another of the many, many symptoms of hypothyroidism. But, I would not say it had anything to do with thyroid hormone replacement, whether synthetic or 'natural' (which actually isn't really as natural as all that!) because mine started about 30 years before my diagnosis. :)

DippyDame profile image
DippyDame in reply to greygoose

Goodness, that probably explains the slowly deteriorating state of my teeth. My adult teeth were partly discoloured from the outset and said to be soft!

I grew up eating a very healthy diet and my mother was always puzzled as to why I had poor teeth.

I had most of them crowned / with bridges by the time I was in my 40s.

It now sounds as if this could be another consequence of undiagnosed hypo/hormone resistance.

Low T3 way back! I'm even more convinced my RTH is genetic rather than acquired!

I've now moved my 175mcg T3 dose to wake-up time and it seems to be an improvement, though symptoms suggest there may be room for a further increase.

Time will tell.

You are a fund of amazing information which has been so, so valuable to us all...

personally, I owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

Take care

DD

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to DippyDame

You're very welcome. :)

McPammy profile image
McPammy

Do you keep an eye on your Vitamin D. Low vitamin D can cause teeth and bone issues.

Anniegal profile image
Anniegal

I notice when my thyroid levels are too low, my dental health deteriorates. My dental hygienist notices a build up of plaque and the reverse when my thyroid levels are optimized. Another reason to advocate for oneself and for supplemental T3 if you are a poor converter of synthetic thyroxine.

Molly161018 profile image
Molly161018

I had brilliant teeth until I was about 25...then they started falling apart - I went from no fillings to multiple fillings, a crown and one tooth removed over the course of a couple of years...

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 18, and looking back I do wonder if it is related...

I have to brush and floss my teeth, and use mouthwash, every night - this seems to help, as at one stage I didn't do it for a few months and paid for it - 3 fillings at once!!

I certainly have to take a lot more care of my teeth compared with my husband who just brushes at night and never gets any problems!!

Sorry not much help but I certainly do wonder if it's related...

Hypothyroidism causes low levels of some vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D.

Do you have any recent blood tests you can post on here? Should contain TSH, T4, T3, ferritin, folate, B12, and D

You are legally entitled to copies of test results. Ask the receptionist if you can.

For over a year I've been taking 4,000 units of vitamin D (doctors usually prescribe only 800 and often with calcium which is worse than useless, even if your calcium is low), with vitamin K and magnesium. I have a misaligned tooth that had become rather wobbly because of uneven pressure when chewing. The dentist said it would eventually fall out, but now it 's completely firm again!

You can get a blood spot home vitamin D test from vitamindtest.org.uk/

bethk123 profile image
bethk123

I had good teeth up until I was 21/22, then I got told I have an underactive thyroid/hashimoto's disease and then for the past few years since then they have got rapidly worse. Went from having no fillings or tooth aches to needing a filling at the next appointment I had, tooth aches all the time and gingivitis. I have also had small pieces break off. Didn't realise it could be linked too my thyroid until I saw your post so that's interesting.

blondpalomino profile image
blondpalomino

Mine seem to have got worse since the menopause....

Joad467 profile image
Joad467

Yes I had many teeth issues,told dentist related to hypo,he looked at me like I was making excuses and nodded his head,so humiliating.☹️

porter5 profile image
porter5 in reply to Joad467

It could be that your diet is causing your problem? Maybe gluten intolerance. Maybe

low stomach acid, Maybe too much of one thing interfering with something else and

causing a deficiency. Only tests can guide you and someone who knows about nutrition,

chimonger profile image
chimonger in reply to porter5

Diet does not cause that kind of cracks and pieces breaking off, and translucent teeth...unless one is chronically starved fro minerals that come in veggies, fruits, and usually, also with proteins. So, it's hard to have teeth with those problems.

But, reflux can add to that package of problems. And, reflux is more commonly related to low acid, than too much. SO, taking ACV in water with meals, is a simple solution. Also, taking digestive enzymes is a good solution. Sleeping with head and shoulders elevated several inches higher than stomach helps if it's bad.

BUt, oil pulling using coconut oil, has helped most. Already have deleted most sugars and grains from diet many years back. The only thing that changed that one year my teeth got exponentially worse, was the old pharmacist who covertly changed my prescription to manmade analogues, instead of freeze dried thyroid.

Since that, I have leaned into Keto and Paleo diet, and, making sure to get some kelps most days...that, and oil-pulling, has helped, but has not restored the damaged teeth as that had one time.

chimonger profile image
chimonger in reply to Joad467

I have experienced that way too often, too. People with low thyroid get jerked around a LOT. I've had MD's actually say: "don't expect to get relief of low thyroid symptoms, just because you are taking thyroid supplement"...{pfft!?!?}

porter5 profile image
porter5

In order for teeth to be in good condition, whats the recipe? what elements do they need

combined. And does the medication you are on deprive you of essential nutrients giving rise

to deficiencies? google to find out..

jm22 profile image
jm22

I haven't had problems with my teeth, but I have had issues with my gums for several years, it's only recently that's I've realised it's connected to when I'm hypo. I had mentioned this to my hygienist last appointment and she told me to mention it to my endo. For years my dentist had been going on at me to floss and he couldn't understand why I was still having gum issues, not sure if this is a common symptom though?

chimonger profile image
chimonger in reply to jm22

That is easily remedied using coconut oil or MCT oil to do oil pulling, a ew ties per day when the infection is bad, but only once or twice a day for maintenance.

You do not have to use a Tablespoon...that directive would mean many cannot do it. It only needs one teaspoon to swish for at least 5 minutes, then spit it into trash. The oil needs to be sucked through the teeth fairly vigorously, for 5 minutes at least. If you feel like the swishing is irritating the gums, it means you need an "oil change"; it means the oil being swished, has become too diluted with saliva. So, spit that into trash and get another teaspoon of oil, to finish or go again.

When I've used this, it clears up bad gum infections within a couple days. Lesser ones clear faster. Using it as maintenance, has REALLY helped me...I wouldn't have any teeth to fix, if I hand't.

chimonger profile image
chimonger

I think it is a common symptom.

The only thing that has really fixed that, for me, has been oil pulling at least daily, or more times daily, using coconut oil.

THAT has done so well, I rarely need to floss...just brush well using no-fluoride toothpaste, and, using herbal mouthwash diluted using peroxide. For many years, the only work needed, was barely any cleaning.

But if I slack on oil pulling, gum problems return fast, and gunk builds up fast.

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