[vlhperry]

Dear All,

If it was because of early onset Parkinson's disease, or Parkin disease for which I carry 2 mutations, why am I the exception? We shouldn't be so quick to blame our PD. It could be just genetics. If both your parents and siblings have bad teeth, it makes sense that you might too.

Love,
Vicky

[steffi 001]

Blame is not the issue here.It is about finding out if folk have similar problems and seemingly they do.Yes,it may be about lack of dental care because of movement restriction but this is linked to the disease.It may be because of poor diet...again,linked with the disease because of appetite suppressants in the medication.Likewise,the dry mouth,the depleted immune system etc etc.

And then again,it may in some cases,purely be because of genetics,or lack of calcium in the diet from poor nutrition early on in life.

For those who still have a pearly white smile,then hey...I`m pleased for you.I hope you flash it often to make others smile which is something dear to my heart.

But for those who have been affected...it is comforting to know that no matter how many minutes we spend at the bathroom basin,eroding our teeth with an electric sander,there are still some governing factors of this condition [pd] which will prevent us from improving our lot.

My gp said to me at the start of my illness...".don`t put everything down to pd."As a result I missed some important links which would have made my life a whole lot easier had I have made the connection between my symptoms and pd...leastways the side effects of the drugs.

Yes ...there will always be exceptions....but thank God for this site where we can test the water to find out if it "is pd" or not.

[BEMM]

I think you've solved part of the problem, Steffi. You grind your teeth! A friend of ours was having huge work place problems ( admin. of theater), and it made him grind his teeth literally to pieces while he slept. Another part is without doubt PD that somehow makes crowns and fillings fall out - this according to my dental hygenist. So far mine are staying put, but my guess is that it may not last. And a third part is the PD meds that cause dry mouth, which can cause cavities.
Good luck at the dentist's - thank goodness for modern dentistry. You are too young to remember the old drills - virtual torture instruments, and the old dentists - veritable sadists.

I'm happy i made you laugh.

birte

[steffi 001]

Yeah...I sound like a pneumatic drill at night...no wonder my husband works in the north sea.But joking aside,I grind them I am sure,because I am in so much pain at night...very restless unless I take my knockout pills,and then I have a calm sleep.I know in the morning,when I have been "milling flour"cos ,my jaw hurts like hell and my neck and jaw are soooooooooooooo stiff.
I can`t always take my sleeping tablets [ie..when my husband is away] because I would never hear the alarm in the morning...and I have two teenage children who don`t hear the alarm EVER.

"Swings and roundabouts"....the pseudonym for Parkinsons Disease.

And yes Birte...you so made me laugh...out LOUD...worse than your er, burping.
I now,when requiring an expletive,run up my orchard shouting
BUMMERRRRRRRR at the top of my voice.
If anyone`s looking I tell em its my dogs name.

Now there`s a thought.....

Sure makes you feel a whole heap better though.

[lindylanka]

Steffi, I think that teeth grinding is one of the symptoms of the sleep disorders that are associated with PD, there certainly have been discussions of this on the forms in the past. I have this and my teeth are getting noticeably shorter! I wonder do you have sleep issues too?

Take care of those gnashers
Lindy

[Bryanna]

Hi Steffi,
I'm sorry you are having such difficult dental problems. I see your situation routinely in people who have various <extenuating> circumstances.

I have also seen the value in using an electric toothbrush with people who are not able to use a manual toothbrush effectively. The key to using an electric brush is to NOT use it like a manual one, but rather allow the brush to do the cleaning of the teeth and massaging of the gum tissue. If we use any type of toothbrush aggressively, we could eventually injure the gum tissue making it become thinner and ultimately recession can develop.

I just wish to clarify that there are a few common causes of gum recession. One type can come from aggressive tooth brushing as I mentioned or from an improper brushing technique. But another can occur from a bacterial infection. If plaque accumulates along the gumline and is not removed properly on a daily basis, a bacterial infection can occur. It generally starts out as a gingivitis and if not corrected, can progress to periodontal disease. Some people have this throughout their mouth and others don't. There is also a hereditary factor that plays a role in gum disease and tooth decay. Some believe that the PH factor is significant as well. High acidic foods contribute to erosion of the enamel leading to tooth decay and can be irritating to the gum tissue. Whereas low acidic foods are not. So perhaps it is helpful to know that a more neutral PH level may be condusive to a healthier teeth.

When recession occurs, two distinct things happen. One, the enamel itself along the gumline can be worn down to the softer layer of tooth called the dentin. The dentin is comprised of small microscopic tubules which are sensitive to temperature and sweets, whereas the enamel is not. Second, the part of the tooth that was covered by gum tissue, is now exposed and that part is also dentin, not enamel. So what happens is, the dentin tubules pick up the temperature or sweet sensation and a message gets sent to the nerves inside the tooth that there's no longer any enamel protecting that portion of the tooth so the person will feel sharp sudden pain. It is not the nerve that is exposed, it is the protective layer that is gone that once covered the sensitive dentin.

There certainly are ways to stop the progression of recession from tooth brush abrasion. One is to have your hygienist teach the proper brushing technique with whatever type of toothbrush that is best for you. Always use a soft bristle brush no matter what and use a non abraisive tooth paste. Herbal toothpastes do not usually have the abraisives in them like most commercial pastes do and avoid whitening pastes completely. Second, if the areas of recession have not gotten too large, the dentist can place a bonding material over them that will actually protect the senisitive dentin from further breakdown and will eliminate the pain to temperature and sweets.

I also read in your post that you were having root treatment? I assume that you are referring to a root canal? There is a growing controversy over the benefit vs risk factors with regard to root canal therapy. Especially for people who have ANY chronic autoimmne and/or inflammatory disease. One reason is because the only parts of the tooth that can be treated during the root canal procedure are the large canals that are accessible with dental files. The remaining microscopic canals, which also initially have live nerve in them, are not accessible. Because the main blood supply is cut off once the large nerves are removed, these tiny canals no longer have any nutrition and their contents become necrotic nerve material. Any form of tissue necrosis causes inflammation markers to go up as the immune system tries to handle it. This necrotic tissue frequently becomes infectious which in some cases, can spread to other areas of the mouth. Because the mouth is so vascular, it is possible for this process of inflammation and infection to affect other organs of the body.

None of the information that I am giving you is meant to alarm you. After 30 years in dentistry, I firmly beleive that all people should be given the information of all dental procedures before they consent to treatment. Only the patient can make the decision of what is in their best interest. I always tell people to tell their oncologist or specialist (MD) that they have tooth and or gum problems and that they are having root canal treatment. Some specialists will recommend that a root canal is too risky due to the inflammantion issues for a particular patient. It is sometimes better to remove the source of infection and inflammation in it's entirety which is dentistry would mean to remove the tooth.

Again, I am just putting the information out there so you can become more informed, so the choices you make, are what you believe are best for you.

Best Regards,
Bryanna

[Bryanna]

Hi Paula,
Yes, it is unfortunately true that in some cases, as PD progresses, so do dental problems. Perhaps some lifestyle changes at the onset or in the early stages, could delay or prevent some of these dental problems from occuring?

It is unfortunate that the <traditional/conventional> medical field typically does not delve into a person's dental history, unless the patiet happens to mention it. It is also similar with dentistry in that dentists are not knowledgable in the process of disease like physicians and bascially they are just tooth carpenters. All of which makes it difficult for the patient to get adequate information or instructions on issues like preventive care especially when someone has a progressive disorder. That's why it's good to have websites like this one!

I have had patients with PD who do not have tooth problems! The common link that I noticed with these people was that they do not have many (if any) mercury fillings in their teeth and they have no teeth that are root canaled. I would love to read the studies, if there are any, on the relation between mercury fillings and/or root canals and the incidence of PD.

You asked if dentures were a better option? There is nothing like having your own teeth. But it is imperative that we way the pros and cons of keeping unhealthy teeth for the sake of ....... keeping them! Dentures are generally well tolerated in people who already had some missing teeth and wore partial dentures that replaced those teeth. People who never wore partials, usually have a more difficult time intially getting use to them. Lower dentures are not as secure as upper ones because there is nothing to stabilize them. The palate acts as a suction cup for the upper denture, so it is more stable.

Chewing, speaking, and drinking with dentures is different than with our own teeth because there is always some movement with the dentures themselves. But through persaverance it can be mastered. Choking on food can be an issue if one eats too quickly or takes too big a bite. Gagging on the back of the upper denture is common until the person learns how to relax their facial muscles. People who have an adequate arch in their palate generally don't need an upper denture to go back as far as someone who has less arch in their palate.

I know... alot of information. Tell me if I'm putting too much out there ~'.'~

Bryanna

[paula_w]

Not too much information at all - thanks so much for answering what's' been really on my mind. I went to a dentist the other day that didn't end up examining me because I had started thinking about having them pulled. The hygienist said - he just does root canals you need a prosthedontist [I don't know how to spell them all] and she answered some questions and then I spoke to the actual dentist casually -nobody is really disagreeing that it will probably continue as I get worse at dealing with them. I do have a mouth full of mercury and an infection right now. I tried electric toothbrush for awhile but I think it's safe to say that its chances of worsening are greater than improving.

I really appreciate your information.
Thank you again,
Paula

[steffi 001]

Bryanna...no...you haven`t alarmed me at all. I think I`m " past" being alarmed .You have just reinforced how valuable this forum is, when the sort of information which you have offered,is made available to us. Thank you so much.
I wasn`t aware about the root canal issues and went ahead with root treatment last Tuesday. Well at least I think that`s what it was....drilling a hole at the back of the tooth,antibiotics to clear up the infection,and then later, reaming and filling the cavity.

And the reason why I am up so early [uk] is possibly another infection....I have another swelling ,this time in the lower jaw.I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens.

Can`t add anything else right now...except I wish I `d have known all this before...

Lindy....the grinding?....yes I have had sleep issues,but thankfully my sleep pattern is improving.Hope you get some respite too very soon. Hugs.

[RLSmi]

Vitamin D!!! and Sunshine (if you can find it in Nottingham in February)!!!

Seriously; GOOGLE Vitamin D3.

Recent studies indicate that D3 is important for maintaining the innate immune system in the skin, as well as maintaining strong bones and teeth.

Sunshine converts a cholesterol metabolite present in skin to another substance, cholecalciferol, vitamin D3. D3 is then converted, mostly in the kidney, to calcitriol, which is actually a hormone that stimulates the absorption in the small intestine of dietary calcium.

Persons with kidney disease often have to take pre-made calcitriol because they can't do the second step and often develop degenerative bone and tooth disease.

This process can also apparently occur in keratinocytes in the skin after injury, and the calcitriol, or active D3, causes the release of antimicrobial peptides as part of the innate immune system.

http://del.icio.us/post?url=http%3A%...dcouncil%2Ecom

Wishing the best to you, dear lady:

Robert