[nicky00]

Sjorgens I understand can cause oral health problems.

I am not diagnosed with Sjorgens.

I am sitting here just having had a back tooth extraction.

Are people with lupus more likely to have problems outside of sjorgens as I seem to be having more teeth probs than ususal and have been told for the first time I have a bit of gum disease at the back of my mouth,

Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on the whole oral thing.

Thanks
Nicky

 

[Clare.T]

Hi Nicky

Teeth, hair,eyes ............ it's depressing whatever the cause. I started to drop to bits in my 40's or that's what it felt like
I don't think you have to have a diagnosis of Sjogren's to suffer from a dry mouth, Dry eyes are a feature of lupus too so why not a dry mouth. Many medications can cause dry mouth as well.
Whatever the reason, the upshot is to take maximum daily, care of the teeth and see a dentist every 3 months regardless for descaling and all, in the hope that prevention will help and any trouble can be nipped quickly in the bud.
Behave as if you had Sjogren's keep mouth moist - sugarless chewing gum or sweets to suck and frequent drinks of water. Keep water by your bedside too for a swig if you wake at night or as soon as you get up.

There are medicines that can help too.

Good Luck
Clare

 

[LoopyLoo]

Hi Nicky,

I have constant problems with my mouth and gums and I don't have Sjorgens. I also have dry eyes that Clare mentioned too.

My doc thinks I have a condition called oral lichen planus which can cause ulcers, gum inflammation etc. Funny thing is it can be caused by lupus and/or anti-malarials!

There are good anti-bacterial mouthwashes that you can get from Boots to keep problems at bay. I use Gengigel as Corsydil seems to make my problems worse.

Hugz, :hug:

Pam xxx

 

[nicky00]

Thanks for the advice.. I have noticed I've been waking up with a dry mouth lately.

Whilst Im waiting for more 'bits to fall off' I shall go back to sucking my broccoli and stilton soup through a thick straw.

Owwww!


Nicky

 

[peonyprincess]

I have suffered from Sjogrens for several years and I have been blessed with a wonderful dentist, who also has Lupus. Anyway, she has me using a special toothpaste, mouthwash as well as a dry mouth lubricant that you squirt into your and it helps to aid in keeping your mouth moist. It also comes in gum which is a nice change. My dentist has kept me in it for the last few years for free, but you can purchase it at Walgreens, Walmart and I am sure other discount stores as well. Also my dentist made molds of my teeth which came back looking like thosewax teeth things (haha). Anyway, what she prescribed me this special floride treatment. I tooth a small pai nt brush and painted the inside of the molds with the floride and I wore then when I went to bed. I do have city water which has floride in it, but my wonder girl felt that I needed more because of my Sjogrens.

What I found that has worked great for me was the following. I left the dry mouth moisturizer in my truck and everytime I would get in, I wuld squirt my mouth. After every meal, I would brush my teeth, including the roof and sides of my mouth as well as my tongue and then I would chew a piece of the special gum after supper. Then right before bed, I wuld brush and floss really, really good and put on my mouth pieces for the night.

While this seems like alot to go thru, it was completely worth all the trouble, considering it helped me keep my teeth for several years longer. Unfortunately, my teeth have met the end of their life and I am starting to lose them. I cannot blame it all on Sjogrens, back when I was a youngster, many, many moons ago, I had alot of chewable antibiotics which we know were bad for the life of my teeth. Now, we are prepping the mouth for dentures.....at least I would have a full mouth of teeth again and be able to eat corn on the cob and apples again.

Talk to your dentist and see if they feel you need any special treatments besides what you are doing now. Also ask his opinion about the special toothpaste, etc. You know, the pros and cons of everything. Remember, prevention and excellent maintence is the best cure.


Good Luck
Nancy

 

[nicky00]

Thanks peonyprincess.

Im going to see the hygenist at some time so Im hoping she knows more about that side of things than the denist.

Im afraid I may have been far too lax in my hygene routine.
I do chew gum. At least now I have an exscuse to do it!

Thanks for all that info

Nicky

 

[LolaLola]

Dear Nicky,
Ouch! Sorry to hear about the extraction. Very depressing for you.
My Gums are certainly not as good as they were, although it is not a huge problem. I do also suffer a bit hygiene wise as my hands are not good with a toothbrush and flossing is impossible for me. (The tips of my fingers are numb)
My Dentist understands Thank Goodness and I do still have all my teeth Hooray.
I find fillings or scalings a real problem because my co ordination means I cannot swallow or breathe at the right time during treatment. Would be interested to know if other people find this too.

Nice to hear of you Nicky, and hope you are otherwise well.
xxx Lola

 

[Clare.T]

Names of products that members have found helpful can be given - they count as medicines and complementary or adjunctive therapies. We can usually tell the difference between bone fide recommendations from established members and product promotion



Clare

 

[KiwiJen]

We were told to use a suds free toothpaste -- a natural one that has no foaming agents -- because the chemicals that cause things to foam can dry out your gums and lips.

My GP said that he counted gums as connective tissue and he felt they should be affected by connective tissue diseases.

During bad flares I get really bad pains in my gums.

 

[nicky00]

Thanks lolalola and peonyprincess for replies. All info taken on board

.
Just come back from Denist after an emergency appt as my tooth ache continually got worse since last wednesday( well gum ache!)
Annoying thing was an hour before I arrived the said 'ache' disappeared and I tried to cry off with some excuse of making a fuss.

Rececptionist wasnt having any of my refusal on the grounds of no 'ache' as the open hole was ' really smelling' yuck.

The dentist squirted , and filled with iodine......Mega Ouch..

Im told I handled the whole pain that was bought on... I even got a 'you were very stoical accolade!.

Guess thats the lupie side of me rising to the plate...

Stop singing your own praises now Nicky

Interestingly this time the different dentist said an inflammatory condition may have made things not heal in the same way. I did not ask her why as I was hastly making a retreat as my appt meant i was holding up a load of other people out in the surgery.

Interesting one dentist said lupus wont make a difference and the other does.
Sorry I cant be more helpful as to why etc.

There is no blood supply there so antibiotics would not make any difference.

Horrray!

Oh the relief is gorgeous after the agony of the last week

Thanks for all your replies

Nicky

 

[lazylegs]

Teeth are a sore subject with me right now. I went in for a simple cleaning on Thursday and found I needed a crown replaced. When the dentist removed the crown he realized the crown and tooth under it were fine. The problem was below the gum line. The tooth is reabsorbing. The tooth and bone were mixed together like swiss cheese. In an effort to save the tooth he had to remove tissue and bone. He says more than likely this is just a temporary measure.

Now he is worried about this happening to other teeth as well. In doing research he found that it can happen in both Scleroderma and Crest. Osteoporosis can be the culprit also. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will just be this one. The dentist is far from my favorite place to visit.

Take care,
Lazylegs