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Anyone else with chipping and cracking teeth?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 6/20/2011 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
My dentist (whose daughter has CD, but they are not going with "chemical" treatments) seems to think that my fragile teeth are not necessarily due to CD because I have never had a bone density issue or low Calcium.

I have had two molars crumble post cd diagnosis.  When I was younger pre-Cd diagnosis, my wisdom teeth crumbled as they were being taken out.  Now I have a chip in my front tooth and I had seen a crack in it for at least a year.

trying to figure out if the dentist is more correct because my bone density is really great or if this is still a CD relationship.  Want to try to keep my teeth as long as possible and if it's not the CD I need to figure out how else to prevent the crumbling.

Posted 6/20/2011 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
I have teeth that break or fall out with no cavity problems. Tends to happen more when I am not doing well or after a lengthy spell of a flare. My bone density is great as well. I had this problem long before I went the "chemical route" so I blame crohn's and our lack of proper nutrition possibly due to malabsorption??

Tanya
Posted 6/21/2011 10:43 AM (GMT 0)
Habs, I've always had crappy teeth. And considering I also suspect I've had CD most of my life it's no wonder. Mine are also misaligned which contributes to cracking and breaking. Bone denisity is also fine, so I also agree with the malabsorbtion theory. My teeth just never got the proper nutrients just like the rest of my screwed up body.
Posted 6/21/2011 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
Habs - I don't think it's CD related...I see fractured/breaking teeth in practice. I think it's medication induced. What meds are you taking? Patients with xerostomia (dry mouth) have a much higher chance of teeth becoming brittle because their moisture is leeched out by diffusion. As a result, the teeth become more apt to fracture during normal function. There is also a correlation with autoimmune disorders and Sjogren's syndrome which is autoimmune drymouth. I've seen very young people with TONS of decay and broken teeth.

Another thing is do you grind your teeth at night? Symptoms - headache in the morning, difficulty opening, soreness in the side of your face, neck/shoulder tightness, teeth feeling "loose". A lot of tooth fractures are caused by this. You need to wear a night guard if this is the problem.

There's a lot more things that I can't think of off the top of my head. If you want me to indulge my inner dental nerd, let me know. I don't blame CD for breaking teeth. Periodontal disease, absolutely. Cavities, maybe. Medication is my favorite scapegoat for breaking teeth and to an equal degree cavities.

To keep them, regular dental visits (maybe think about 3 month recalls, 6 month bitewings but you'll need to pay out of pocket for those), restore anything small, anything with a large restoration - CROWN it to prevent fracture, nightguard (and wear it every night), regular brushing and flossing, and Prevident 5000 (prescription toothpaste). That's my ideal prevention plan for patients in the same boat as me...I have a few who follow it and do great and others who don't and they're not doing so great.

Hope that helps! :)
Posted 6/22/2011 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with Tooth. My teeth were fine pre-diagonosis. After high doses of Prednisone & Pentasa....had to have all the uppers pulled. Now my dentists has found 6 of my lowers are shattered...working on capping them this year. I really feel it was the drugs, and maybe some malabsorbtion issues since I also lost a large amout of weight while on them.
Posted 6/22/2011 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
My dentist told me that the prednisone and MTX are hard on the teeth.

Julia
Posted 6/22/2011 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
HABS. I still have my choppers but its been a real fight to keep them . I really saw a big diff. in their condition when I was most ill six years ago. I found I threw up almost every day and even though I rinsed and brushed as much as the situation allowed I lost a lot of enamel due to stomach acid . Meds may also play a part because of the steroids I have had bone loss to the point of osteopenia . I have had lots of root canals and caps because of cracks and breaks. I have a powerful bite and so now I stay away from really hard to chew foods. No dog biscuits for me .
Posted 6/22/2011 4:46 AM (GMT 0)
me too... more so the last 5-6 years after being on TPN for 5 years.. im slowly using them up. and i do the stuff that tooth suggested. . what happens to mine is the cracking, and then reabsorbtion under my crowns.. the tooth just disapears underneath.
Posted 6/22/2011 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks folks....hey Tooth I think the dehydration may be key here for me.  I am only on Pentasa and cholestyramine and the teeth were an issue before cholestyramine.  However, I noticed I had been pretty dehydrated for a few weeks before this latest chipping and really dehydrated that day.

I really don't want to carry water with me everywhere, but if my girlfriend recovering from neck radiation can live with it I sure better be able to.  I am going to try to be more of a camel!

Posted 6/22/2011 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
One hump or two ? Not trying to be overly dromedary.
Posted 6/22/2011 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
I'll take two lumps and we can be ships of the desert...or ships that pass in the night....or ships that pass gas.....OK now you have me going Sniper..
Posted 6/22/2011 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
I had tons of dental work after being diagnosed with crohns and had hardly any the 30 plus years prior. Things just started breaking and cracking. Has to be related. UGH!
Posted 6/22/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
OMG, I posted a similar situation two years ago. I started having dental problems two years a go and it hasn't stopped since. I've had 3-4 root canals/crowns and numerous fillings. It's been one thing after another. I laughed and told my dentist that I promise I wasn't trying to stalk them. She finally gave me a prescription toothpaste I was so bad off. I also have an issue with dry mouth and sometimes grind my teeth at night too. Ugh!!!!!!! Oh, she told me acidy drinks like sodas (with or without) sugar are bad to sip on all day. SHe said to use a toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide. I would imagine certain meds change the pH balance of the saliva and meds can dry you out. Heaven help you if you have a lot of vomiting. That can certainly make you lose your teeth from the acids. I hope you have better luck with your dental woes.
Posted 6/22/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
OMG, I posted a similar situation two years ago. I started having dental problems two years a go and it hasn't stopped since. I've had 3-4 root canals/crowns and numerous fillings. It's been one thing after another. I laughed and told my dentist that I promise I wasn't trying to stalk them. She finally gave me a prescription toothpaste I was so bad off. I also have an issue with dry mouth and sometimes grind my teeth at night too. Ugh!!!!!!! Oh, she told me acidy drinks like sodas (with or without) sugar are bad to sip on all day. SHe said to use a toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide. I would imagine certain meds change the pH balance of the saliva and meds can dry you out. Heaven help you if you have a lot of vomiting. That can certainly make you lose your teeth from the acids. I hope you have better luck with your dental woes.
Posted 6/22/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
OMG, I posted a similar situation two years ago. I started having dental problems two years a go and it hasn't stopped since. I've had 3-4 root canals/crowns and numerous fillings. It's been one thing after another. I laughed and told my dentist that I promise I wasn't trying to stalk them. She finally gave me a prescription toothpaste I was so bad off. I also have an issue with dry mouth and sometimes grind my teeth at night too. Ugh!!!!!!! Oh, she told me acidy drinks like sodas (with or without) sugar are bad to sip on all day. SHe said to use a toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide. I would imagine certain meds change the pH balance of the saliva and meds can dry you out. Heaven help you if you have a lot of vomiting. That can certainly make you lose your teeth from the acids. I hope you have better luck with your dental woes.
Posted 6/22/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
OMG, I posted a similar situation two years ago. I started having dental problems two years a go and it hasn't stopped since. I've had 3-4 root canals/crowns and numerous fillings. It's been one thing after another. I laughed and told my dentist that I promise I wasn't trying to stalk them. She finally gave me a prescription toothpaste I was so bad off. I also have an issue with dry mouth and sometimes grind my teeth at night too. Ugh!!!!!!! Oh, she told me acidy drinks like sodas (with or without) sugar are bad to sip on all day. SHe said to use a toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide. I would imagine certain meds change the pH balance of the saliva and meds can dry you out. Heaven help you if you have a lot of vomiting. That can certainly make you lose your teeth from the acids. I hope you have better luck with your dental woes.
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