Receding gumline, losing enamel- Medical Assistance Q's!
 

While I'm relatively young (38 y.o.) and have always tried to take decent care of my teeth, I have lost the majority of my enamel (from brushing too hard) and my gumline is now receding. Pale pink colored gums. The dentist was able to tell I have GERD simply by examination.

I do take phenobarbital, zonisamide, effexor XR and buspar daily. I also take omeprazole every morning. I use PreviDent gel daily. Floss twice a day. Also use Crest Total Care Mouthwash twice/day.

I now have medical assistance and have been hesitating to see the dentist for 6 months or so. I fear that the covered dentist will simply want to pull my teeth and give me dentures. Is that a reasonable fear, or do DDS accepting MA not practice like that? Or, is their care dependent upon what MA is willing to pay for? Please help if you can, thank you!

Shez

Prescription interacting
 

Shez,

I would take all of your prescriptions including the PreviDent, into the pharmacist and have him check for any interactions. You take quite a load of drugs.

Do you suffer from anxiety and OCD?

I would be more concerned about your GERD. That can lead to esophageal cancer. Your teeth can be replaced, your esophagus can not.

I would lighten up on the fluoride. It may be a problem for you. It can in some situations form hydrofluoric acid. That will eat your teeth away. BTW, I have very little enamel on my teeth to the point that they are translucent. Not been a big problem for me.

I hope your prescribing doctor is a psychiatrist who talks with your neurologist. Most MDs tend to not understand the interactions. Buspar and phenobarbital are not good to mix. Zonisamide and phenobarb also have a caution about mixing.

I was on Dilantin (Phenytoin) and phenobarb years ago. Now, I just take Neurontin. Dilantin is wicked on gums.

Have you ever been seen by a chiropractor to check your back to see if you have a nerve problem causing your GERD? How about lactose intolerance? My lactose intolerance was burning up my esophagus and up into Eustachian tubes (they go up to the ear canal). Once I figured it out, my GERD went away. The MD just wanted to put me on acid reducers. Occasionally, my back acts up and my GERD comes back until I get my back healthy again.

I tried Lactade capsules but they did not help. I drink only lactose reduced milk.

Hi shezbut,

If you have lost the majority of your tooth enamel on ALL or most of your teeth, it is not from brushing too hard. It is from a digestive issue such as GERD or a bulimic condition in which food is perged on a regular basis. Certain medications cause or contribute to digestive disorders causing an acidic imbalance in the digestive tract. The mouth is the opening to the digestive tract, so they will share the same dysbiosis, microbial imbalances.

Gum recession can occur from a chronic accumulation of plaque along the gumline..... or exaggerated tooth brushing and/or a misaligned bite. So all of those things would need to be checked for a proper diagnosis of what is causing the recession.

I agree with Mark in that it may be wise to check into the long term and short term side effects of the meds you are taking and combining together.

I cannot give you any advice on how you would be treated at an MA dental facility. I know there will be limitations and that's because they are not paid very much. However, you have every right to be treated fairly so I would suggest that you ask questions of the dentist such as ..... What are all of my dental problems have him make a list; which teeth are the worst and why; do I have periodontal disease; how is my bite; and what are all of my options. Make sure a full mouth series of radiographs are taken which will have xrays of every tooth. Do not settle for less than a full mouth series. A panorex radiograph is ok too, but ask to have individual xrays also.

Please try not to be fearful of seeking dental care. You may have MA but you are entitled to quality dental care.

Please keep us posted on how things are going :-)

Bryanna

Hi Mark,

Thanks for offering such good info to shezbut. It is so important to know the side effects of the meds that we take. It is also wise to be aware of what our illnesses can lead to if we allow them to continue.

I also agree 100% on easing up on the fluoride. I neglected to mention to shezbut that overuse of fluoride can actually damage the enamel on the teeth. So good point!!

I wanted to make mention to you about the lactose intolerance issue you wrote about. Did you test positive for this through blood or stool testing? If not, then you may not have lactose intolerance. You may have a microbial imbalance in your gut that needs some replenishment of good bacteria. This is taken in pill form and is called a prebiotic and a probiotic. The prebiotic which is generally a strain of bacteria called Saccharomyces Boulardii is taken to prepare the intestinal wall to accept the probiotic. The probiotics that I have personal and professional experience with are 1) Culturelle or 2) Enzymatic Therapy Pearls. When the intestinal flora is replenished with good bacteria and kept that way indefinitely, it is amazing how much healthier we are! I would suggest to you and others reading this to do a google search on the health benefits of supplementing with a pre and probiotic.

Bryanna

probiotics
 

Bryanna,

I had been using acidophilus and bifidus proboitics but they did not help.

We have a friend who is a distributor for Nature's Sunshine. She really knows her stuff.

Mark,

Not all probiotics are alike. They are very temperature sensitive and through processing and packaging some are not very potent by the time they reach the store shelf. I'm not familiar with natures sunshine products but they seem to have high quality control ratings from what I've read on the web. Perhaps that combination of probiotics was not suited for your particular needs?

Several years ago when I first began supplementing with probiotics I tried several different ones before I found the one that work the best for me. Sometimes it's trial and error before we find the right one!

Thanks for sharing your info here with us....... all the best to you!

Bryanna

Calcium absorption
 

I learned of a problem some people have with calcium last night. It is called hypoparathyroidism. The parathyroid releases a hormone (PTH) that make calcium useful. Without it, calcium is not properly absorbed. It can affect teeth and other body functions and can cause seizures.

Just a thought.

Hi Mark,

Sorry I'm just now responding..

Yes, I did take a lot of medications - which complicated my general health. The buspar is to complement the effexor xr for major depression and anxiety. Phenobarbital and the zonisamide were used to manage my seizure activity. I just got out of the hospital (after an 8 day stay) to get safely weaned off my 2 AED medications. So, no more phenobarbital or zonisamide :winky:!

I have the esophageal type of GERD, the symptoms aren't the same as general. I don't fit the description of those who suffer GERD either. As a result, I've suffered for years and didn't know it. I have worried since diagnosis that esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus may be in the future, but I push myself not to worry needlessly. There's lots of other stuff to worry about instead :rolleyes:.

Thanks for your post ~ take care!
Shez

Hi Bryanna,

Thank you for responding to my initial post. Sorry I'm just now writing back!

I will check out dentists in the area. Thank you for the advice on x-rays needed and what to expect. I'll post an update after I do see a dentist :)

Shez

Hi Shez,

Glad to hear that you are back home now and off of some of those meds!!

One other thing that I should have mentioned with regard to erosion of the enamel on teeth... is diet. ANY soda or drinks containing sugar or sugar substitutes especially high fructose ..... any acidic drinks like lemonade, orange juice, and most energy drinks like gatorade, propel, etc..... can all cause erosion of the enamel. The reason being is that as we sip on these drinks, our teeth are literally bathing in the sugar and acid. These types of drinks are becoming the number one cause of tooth decay because so many people are consuming them in their daily diet!

Hope you are feeling well and hope to hear from you again soon!

Bryanna