Dental Problems...Am I Alone???

luvin_my_redneck_man · 04-29-2008, 09:14 AM

Hi Ladies,

I am having some trouble. In the past year for some reason I have had to have one tooth pulled and 5 filled and now I have to go back to the dentist again because I found a cavity while brushing last night. I have never had this much trouble with my teeth and I dont understand it and to be honest it is making me mad, I dont have alot of money to be forking to the dentist every time I turn around. Does anyone besides me has some teeth trouble?? I do brush and alll that twice a day and all that so I dont understand how I could get so many cavities. Anyone opinion would be appreciated. Thank you, have a great day!!

Qiana · 04-29-2008, 10:48 AM

No sadly u are not alone. I swear all of my teeth are rotten lol. I had a lot filled last yr and am sure some new ones have popped up. I brush/floss, but i was just dx in jan 08 so i am going to talk to my dentist about a possible link. I truly believe the hormone inbalance has caused this. Most of the women in my family with pcos has had bad dental check ups. I admit i used to drink a lot of soda, but have totally quit for yrs now. I also think the major cravings for sweets, when pcos was in full swing, contributed. Now i am thinking of something...DO women with diabetes have bad dental check ups? I will have to look this up a little later i suppose. lol

blueoceanflower · 04-29-2008, 11:35 AM

same here
I have had to get 4 fillings in the last year
Never had cavities in my life

04-29-2008, 12:23 PM

Nope your definitely not alone there hun.

I used to have perfect teeth, every time if do to the dentists my brother would get annoyed cos i never had to have a filling.

Yet when my pcos worsened, iv never had more trouble. Root canals, 5 fillings.

I think it may be related to insulin resistance, but thats just me.

OliviaLeigh · 04-29-2008, 03:26 PM

Mine has been because of acid reflux.....

dawnjoemarie · 04-29-2008, 04:53 PM

Just some tips for you all. Not saying you may not do this or that but just some info that might help. I worked in the dental field (until I had to quit for bedrest). Many people brush and floss, but not correctly.

This sight shows the correct way to brush: Dont go straight on with the teeth, you want the bristles to go under part of your gums. Be gentle when brushing. dont forget behind your back teeth.
http://www.dentist.net/proper-brushing.asp

Flossing-It is not just a quick snap between teeth. It is making a 'c' around each side of the tooth. Floss does go a long way down under the gums, not just the part of the tooth you may see. If your gums bleed, it means there is an infection but dont stop! After a week or so, you will notice the bleeding will go away because the infection is going away. Dont forget behind your last teeth.
http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/flossing.htm

If you do drink anything with sugar before bed (pop, milk) at least swish your mouth with water...better yet brush. Diet pop still does damage even though there is no sugar. ( I must admitt- I am a huge sugar pop drinker!!)Smoking is obviously bad. I have not yet had a cavity in my perminate teeth, but with age, I believe everyone does. There are spots on our teeth so small that a bristle cant get into it to clean-especially on the chewing surfaces.

Ask your dentist if they offer flouride treatments...they help out a lot. Most insurances will not pay for adults but it is only about $30. Flouride varnish is best as it goes on every tooth and stays on for a lot longer. ACT flouride mouth wash can help but has very low levels of flouride compared to Rx. Ask about other products they might have. There are a lot of things that can help remineralize your teeth and washes for your gums. Gum problems can be from medical problems, dry mouth, and prescription drugs. When you get a peridontal exam, the hygienist or dentist will call out numbers. It is the depth the peridontal probe can go between your tooth and gums. 1-3mm is ok, over 4mm is considered peridontal disease which should be well monitored and some sort of treatment should follow. Go at least every 6 months for a check up and any x-rays that should be needed. It is better to take care of things when they are fould early to prevent crowns, root canal therpy, and extractions. The smaller the cavity the cheaper it is and less likely to have the tooth break later.

Personal likes- Composite fillings ('white' or 'tooth colored'). They are chemically bonded to the tooth to help prevent leaks around the filling resulting in a much lower chance of having recurrent decay. Silver fillings expand and shrink with temperatures, putting stress on the tooth, possibly causing fracture leading to crowns or extractions. They are put in the tooth mechanically, so it can leak and bacteria can get into the tooth.

Large fillings-try to save for a crown. A large filling weakens the tooth and can put stress on it resulting in fracture.

When anything 'special' needs to be done (ei-root canal, perio) I would ask to be referred to a specialist. They do root canals all day and went to school 2 extra years for it. A general dentist did not go to extra schooling and does not do it everyday. I would feel safer getting it done by a pro. I have seen a lot of bad things come out of a general dentist. General dentists do check-ups, cleanings, fillings, denture work, bridges, and crowns. But some are willing to do the more advanced but probably not as good of work as a specialist.

Diebetes- From what I remember, it seemed as though a lot of our diebetic patients did have more dental problems.

Dont know about a PCOS link though??? Would be interesting to find out.

Wow, sorry that is so long! Must miss working!! Hope that helped.

sallyn · 05-19-2008, 04:57 AM

i work in mental health and a lot of our clients take medications that cause IR. when i was just getting started a few years back, i noticed that a lot of our clients had significant dental issues. one of my supervisors told me that it was because of the meds. i think IR does cause some dental issues...grrr.

GodsLittleFlower · 05-19-2008, 12:12 PM

I have been having the same problem, but I have found a possible link. It is vitamin D. If you don't have enogh D in your system, calcium cannot be produced/stored correctly and your teeth suffer. I have started taking 2,000 iu of vitamin D a day and it has helped with a host of different problems. My GP told me that PCOS can actually interfere with vitamin D production since vitamin D is also a hormone!!!! They didn't tell us that in biology.

So, I would suggest upping your D and getting about 15-20 minutes of sunshine without sunscreen 3 times a week. My doctor recommended this along with taking a supplement of 1,000 2,000 IU's a day. Target carries a high potency vitamin D at a good price. I hope this helps!!!!

Franca · 05-19-2008, 04:51 PM

High estrogen also makes gums sensitive. I'm about to step up the flossing because my dental hygenist says that's really the only way to get to what's between the teeth. Given that there's now a link between dental health and pregnancy outcomes (preemies, etc.), I'm "flossing for babies" now!

SunsetMuse · 05-19-2008, 05:17 PM

ugh another one that understands. I had the healthiest teeth now that my PCOS is worse my teeth have gotten worse, but dentists are expensive and I can't afford to go right now. :T

sallyn · 05-19-2008, 10:46 PM

yeah, i can understand about the costs...here's what someone i know did with that...

if there are dental schools or dental hygienist schools around your area, they can do the work for you at a fraction of the cost by a dentist/dental hygienist in training who is overseen by a dentist supervisor. the person i know said he felt like he was getting even more care than he would at a regular dentist's office because the supervisor was overseeing the work and it was being very carefully evaluated. it's a thought. i know cleanings go for around $100-$150 around me but i know that dental hygienist program was charging $15 for them. maybe that can be a thought to consider, if nothing else, it's better than nothing. i wouldn't feel right saying that the quality of the work wouldn't be as good when done by a trainee because i've been an intern who was supervised by a supervisor (although in a different field, but still, lol).

SunsetMuse · 05-20-2008, 03:28 AM

Oh wow, thanks for the information! I will definitely have to look into that! Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. I don't mind if it's an intern hehe I've been there too.

Bianca · 05-20-2008, 11:13 AM

I have the same problem, but mine stems from drinking too many sodas over the years. I used to drink a lot of Mountain Dew before I found out I had 8 cavities at one time. The doctor told me I needed to stop drinking it. Well, I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper only to find out it's not the sugar, but the acid in the cola that wears the enamel on your teeth down and makes them more sensitive and prone to cavities and such. Since then, in the last 3-4 years, I've had 9 cavities and 2 root canals. Root canals are not fun.

crissya1981 · 05-21-2008, 04:16 AM

I had never had a cavity then when I got preggers with my son my teeth started getting really bad. My doc told me it was because I am lactose intolerant. Don't know how true that is. But I have noticed it gets worse when i am having a flare up.

CarrieBerry · 05-22-2008, 03:31 AM

I have bad teeth too. My teeth are super straight and I've never had to have braces or anything like that, but they get cavities soooo easily. I hate it. I've had several root canals and too many cavities to count. My mom works at a dentist office so its super embarassing when I have to go in there and have all this work done. I brush and floss like you are supposed to, but I'm sure it has to do with my soda and sugar intake. Thank goodness to my new low GI diet that this will no longer be the case!