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Kraft Products ... I'm Shocked!


becky-01

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psawyer Proficient

What you don't understand about CHEESE is that some of the enzymes used to PRODUCE cheese come from Wheat.  I thought everybody knew that, thus I didn't mention it.

Oh, I understand CHEESE very well. And I know that, unless something like beer is added, it is always, always, ALWAYS, safe for celiacs. Enzymes are highly processed, and will not contain detectable gluten, even if a gluten grain is used as the source. (The same applies to glucose, dextrin, maltodextrin. etc.) It then becomes a tiny part of the final product. No worries. Enjoy your cheese. It is gluten-free.

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ravenwoodglass Mentor

What you don't understand about CHEESE is that some of the enzymes used to PRODUCE cheese come from Wheat.  I thought everybody knew that, thus I didn't mention it.

In the US if those enzymes came from wheat it would have to be listed on the label. 

If you are going to make statements like that please provide a link to the info.

As to the statement that us 'old timers' must be consuming gluten on a regular basis many of us 'old timers' have extremely severe reactions to gluten and we KNOW when that happens. 

I trust Kraft and have never had an issue with any of their products. 

When I was new to this I used to think that some foods, even those labeled gluten free were giving me a gluten reaction. It took awhile to realize that what I was reacting to was the soy in many of those products. If you are having reactions to Kraft products you may have an additional intolerance to something other than gluten in them.  Like casien (milk protein) in cheese, as one example.

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SMRI Collaborator

You seem to be twisting things we are saying around. For example - wheat flour is sticky when moist - making it incapable of keeping cheese from sticking. This goes back to my suggestion to use some common sense. And there are a very very few cheeses with beer in them - but they aren't the regular old Kraft cheese and they proudly and legally list beer as an ingredient.

The law does not say they must test before labelling gluten-free - so if they are sure something would make the gluten-free standard, they can label it gluten-free without testing. They could be called on it at some point and have to prove they are less than 20 ppm.

The safest way to eat would be to grow your own food, which is, of course next to impossible for most people. Please, eat products you feel safe eating. Please don't assume or accuse me of purposefully glutening myself. I feel great, my tests are always negative for Celiac antibodies. Gluten does not hide. It is not evil or sneaky. Companies aren't trying to poison Celiacs.

 

I am not twisting your words and it isn't just beer in cheese that can make it gluten-free...but whatever....I did not accuse you of gluenting yourself...

 

The law says that if they are labeling something gluten-free it has to be less than 20 PPM...click on the link I provided to the FDA website....it's right there.  No they don't have to test if they know it is gluten-free, but then label it as such!

 

I eat cheese, I eat a lot of cheese, I love cheese, but, since a huge food company like Kraft is more concerned with their CYA vs helping it's consumers, I buy other brands that DO label as gluten-free....

 

Gluten does hide, read the list of unsafe gluten items on this website....there are a lot of products on that list and again, you may have the list memorized, I do not yet.  You accuse us of passing misinformation, yet you are doing just that yourself.   I was shopping just the other day and saw some cheese that looked good and would go nicely with the gluten-free crackers I had,  read the label and wheat flour was one of the ingredients.  It wasn't beer, it was wheat.  Same with the stupid frozen vegetables, why do they need to put a wheat derivative in a bag of frozen vegetables???  I'm glad I checked because that would have been one item I would have THOUGHT I could just pick up and buy--NOPE.  Maybe you have just developed a routine where you buy the same things over an over and don't have to look any longer but those of us that are new are still in the learning process.  

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ravenwoodglass Mentor

 

 

 You accuse us of passing misinformation, yet you are doing just that yourself.   I was shopping just the other day and saw some cheese that looked good and would go nicely with the gluten-free crackers I had,  read the label and wheat flour was one of the ingredients.  It wasn't beer, it was wheat.  Same with the stupid frozen vegetables, why do they need to put a wheat derivative in a bag of frozen vegetables???  I'm glad I checked because that would have been one item I would have THOUGHT I could just pick up and buy--NOPE.  Maybe you have just developed a routine where you buy the same things over an over and don't have to look any longer but those of us that are new are still in the learning process.  

In both the instances of gluten 'hiding' that you are giving it is not actually hidden. It was in the ingredients list! That is not hidden gluten. We need to read labels. We need to read them every time we buy something processed. Is it hard to get used to at first, yes for some of us it is but we do get used to it. 

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kareng Grand Master

 

 

The law says that if they are labeling something gluten-free it has to be less than 20 PPM...click on the link I provided to the FDA website....it's right there.  No they don't have to test if they know it is gluten-free, but then label it as such!

 

 

 

 

I think you are agreeing with me?  I said that they don't have to actually test to label gluten-free with the way the law is currently written but they want to be pretty sure it is gluten-free in case they are complained about and told to prove it.  That's all I was trying to get you two to realize.  There are symbols - like the gluten-free in the circle (in the US)  - that have certain standards beyond the FDA regulations.

 

When I say gluten isn't hidden - your example of a cheese spread? sauce? or frozen veggie listing wheat is a perfect example of my point. It may seem odd to have wheat, but it is listed (not hidden).

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becky-01 Newbie

I am not sure where you are getting this info from? If these " wheat enzymes" are actually used to produce cheese and contained gluten, wouldn't the Celic Associations warn us of this? I would think you can't eat any cheese then because enzymes aren't a listed ingredient and you wouldn't know where they came from.

 

In some cheeses, Mold and Mold Powder is made from Wheat, Barley and Rye Breads.  It is injected into cheese to form the flavor of the cheese.  Some cheeses are also rolled in this formulation to produce various flavors and outside bacteria growth.  There are other cheese besides Cheddar and Mozzarella.  ha!

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becky-01 Newbie

Oh, I understand CHEESE very well. And I know that, unless something like beer is added, it is always, always, ALWAYS, safe for celiacs. Enzymes are highly processed, and will not contain detectable gluten, even if a gluten grain is used as the source. (The same applies to glucose, dextrin, maltodextrin. etc.) It then becomes a tiny part of the final product. No worries. Enjoy your cheese. It is gluten-free.

 

EXCEPT the cheese that are NOT safe ... like those which are flavored with Mold derived from Wheat, Barley and Rye Breads.  I'm not speaking of the common Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese.  There are more cheeses and some of those are NOT safe.

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becky-01 Newbie

In the US if those enzymes came from wheat it would have to be listed on the label. 

If you are going to make statements like that please provide a link to the info.

As to the statement that us 'old timers' must be consuming gluten on a regular basis many of us 'old timers' have extremely severe reactions to gluten and we KNOW when that happens. 

I trust Kraft and have never had an issue with any of their products. 

When I was new to this I used to think that some foods, even those labeled gluten free were giving me a gluten reaction. It took awhile to realize that what I was reacting to was the soy in many of those products. If you are having reactions to Kraft products you may have an additional intolerance to something other than gluten in them.  Like casien (milk protein) in cheese, as one example.

 

I've been tested for Soy and Milk and Egg as well and do not have reactions to those item.  Thanks.

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psawyer Proficient

Ah, the old blue cheese myth again. Open Original Shared Link.

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bartfull Rising Star

If you read the labels on products you will be safe. That's the bottom line. Wheat in some cheeses? The label will say so. If it does, don't eat it.

 

And for those of you who insist Kraft products are not safe, just don't buy them. That will leave more for those of us who know better. And by the way, I'm one of those "old timers" who has been glutened exactly ONCE in three and a half years. (And it certainly wasn't by cheese, nor a Kraft product.)

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notme Experienced

If you read the labels on products you will be safe. That's the bottom line. Wheat in some cheeses? The label will say so. If it does, don't eat it.

 

And for those of you who insist Kraft products are not safe, just don't buy them. That will leave more for those of us who know better. And by the way, I'm one of those "old timers" who has been glutened exactly ONCE in three and a half years. (And it certainly wasn't by cheese, nor a Kraft product.)

yep - on the 14th it will be one year since i was glutened.  NOT by cheese or a kraft product or any grocery item i purchased in the store and read the label to check ingredients.  it was from eating out.  ONE YEAR.  lolz, i must be so bad at keeping safe...  

 

that being said, i will put an item back if there are any ingredients i don't understand or look like they could be sketchy.  (ha!  and i looked up one ingredient in the store one time and it turned out to be coloring made from crushed bug bodies - YIKES - no more fruit cocktail cherries for *this* girl.  gross.  but, hey, even crushed bug bodies are gluten free, so, technically, i *could have* eaten them safely!!)  i think we are all pretty sensitive, but maybe you are feeling badly from some other source.  like everybody else who has been walking in celiac shoes, i want to stress label reading.  and suggest using a food journal if you are having symptoms that you need to track down the cause of your troubles.  if you really think all these things are making you sick, please let us know when you are miraculously cured by not eating cheese and kraft products.  thanks and have a pleasant day :)

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becky-01 Newbie

yep - on the 14th it will be one year since i was glutened.  NOT by cheese or a kraft product or any grocery item i purchased in the store and read the label to check ingredients.  it was from eating out.  ONE YEAR.  lolz, i must be so bad at keeping safe...  

 

that being said, i will put an item back if there are any ingredients i don't understand or look like they could be sketchy.  (ha!  and i looked up one ingredient in the store one time and it turned out to be coloring made from crushed bug bodies - YIKES - no more fruit cocktail cherries for *this* girl.  gross.  but, hey, even crushed bug bodies are gluten free, so, technically, i *could have* eaten them safely!!)  i think we are all pretty sensitive, but maybe you are feeling badly from some other source.  like everybody else who has been walking in celiac shoes, i want to stress label reading.  and suggest using a food journal if you are having symptoms that you need to track down the cause of your troubles.  if you really think all these things are making you sick, please let us know when you are miraculously cured by not eating cheese and kraft products.  thanks and have a pleasant day :)

 

I really think MOST of the glutening I get is because hubby still eats gluten in our household and even though he thinks he's being cautious, I still feel like he's getting it on the fridge door or microwave or somewhere and I come along and pick it up.  Maybe one day he'll stop.

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ravenwoodglass Mentor

I really think MOST of the glutening I get is because hubby still eats gluten in our household and even though he thinks he's being cautious, I still feel like he's getting it on the fridge door or microwave or somewhere and I come along and pick it up.  Maybe one day he'll stop.

You could also be glutened by his kisses if he doesn't brush his teeth first. It can be hard to live with gluten eaters but it can be done safely. If you can get him to use just one space on a counter to make a sandwich or other gluten item and perhaps get him to wash his hands after he eats that may help.

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SMRI Collaborator

yep - on the 14th it will be one year since i was glutened.  NOT by cheese or a kraft product or any grocery item i purchased in the store and read the label to check ingredients.  it was from eating out.  ONE YEAR.  lolz, i must be so bad at keeping safe...  

 

that being said, i will put an item back if there are any ingredients i don't understand or look like they could be sketchy.  (ha!  and i looked up one ingredient in the store one time and it turned out to be coloring made from crushed bug bodies - YIKES - no more fruit cocktail cherries for *this* girl.  gross.  but, hey, even crushed bug bodies are gluten free, so, technically, i *could have* eaten them safely!!)  i think we are all pretty sensitive, but maybe you are feeling badly from some other source.  like everybody else who has been walking in celiac shoes, i want to stress label reading.  and suggest using a food journal if you are having symptoms that you need to track down the cause of your troubles.  if you really think all these things are making you sick, please let us know when you are miraculously cured by not eating cheese and kraft products.  thanks and have a pleasant day :)

 

So,,,what is the difference between you putting back an item where you don't know what the label reads or if I do???? But, hey, gluten doesn't hide in those goofy ingredients I've been told, so you can eat whatever you want I guess.   Like I said, I eat cheese all the time. I'm having some right now as a matter of fact....but the bag is labeled gluten-free, unlike Kraft who chooses not to take the time to make sure their products are safe for us to eat.  Thanks, have a great weekend.

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bartfull Rising Star

SMRI, you've been told and it has been explained to you over and over again. Kraft products are safe. They are one of the best companies out there when it comes to labeling for gluten.

 

For example, the law says if a product contains wheat it must be on the ingredients label. There is no such law for barley, but Krafte WILL tell us if for example there is malt from BARLEY. Other companies might just say malt and it is up to US to know that the malt they contain is PROBABLY from barley.

 

If you want to let the CYA statement deter you from eating some of the safest foods on the market, fine. It's your loss. But you really shouldn't trash a company that has been so celiac friendly for years, long before the new law took effect. Kraft is one of the good guys. We "old timers" appreciate them and have complete confidence in them. ALL of us who have told you this have been eating Kraft products for years and have NEVER been glutened by them.

 

So please, if you don't want to eat Kraft, fine. But you are possibly scaring off some newbies who are having enough of a hard time adjusting to the diet. If they listen to us "old timers" they will know that if it is a Kraft product, they can trust what the label says. That will make their life easier. We are here to help make their lives easier, not to scare them with unfounded accusations.

 

OK?

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SMRI Collaborator

If Kraft is so good, why don't they label items as gluten-free????  I am one of the newbies!!!!!  Like I said, there is a lot of hidden gluten in the various products---and no, they don't always say "wheat"....the list is linked on this site.  If Kraft was so good, they would put gluten-free on gluten-free items.  Don't you see that by not doing this they are NOT helping us newbies???  

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bartfull Rising Star

OK, one more time: Many products claim to be gluten-free but if you read the label you will find out otherwise. For example, I just read a thread about a coffee substitute (Dandy somethingorother) that is labeled gluten-free, but it is made with barley.

 

That's just like that beer folks have mentioned that claims to be gluten-free because the gluten has been "removed", but it has made every celiac who has tried it sick.

 

The new law does NOT require that companies test their products so there are still companies using the gluten-free claim where they should not. The only thing that is meaningful is something labeled certified gluten-free, because those things ARE tested.

 

Which leaves us back where we started. We HAVE to read the labels on everything we eat. If we just go by a claim of gluten-free, we might get glutened anyway. So we read the labels. And Kraft products are one of the few we can trust to name any source of gluten.

 

Not only that but they ALWAYS let us know if one of their products are made in the same facility or on the same equipment that processes gluten. And believe me, that is a voluntary statement that a LOT of companies don't bother with. Every day I read something written by a "supersensitive" that says they got glutened by something with no gluten ingredients, but they found out when they called the company that the stuff was made on the same equipment that processes wheat.

 

With Kraft, you never have to call the company because it will say so on the label.

 

Honestly...Kraft is about the most trustworthy company out there for a celiac. Honestly.

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becky-01 Newbie

OK, one more time: Many products claim to be gluten-free but if you read the label you will find out otherwise. For example, I just read a thread about a coffee substitute (Dandy somethingorother) that is labeled gluten-free, but it is made with barley.

 

That's just like that beer folks have mentioned that claims to be gluten-free because the gluten has been "removed", but it has made every celiac who has tried it sick.

 

The new law does NOT require that companies test their products so there are still companies using the gluten-free claim where they should not. The only thing that is meaningful is something labeled certified gluten-free, because those things ARE tested.

 

Which leaves us back where we started. We HAVE to read the labels on everything we eat. If we just go by a claim of gluten-free, we might get glutened anyway. So we read the labels. And Kraft products are one of the few we can trust to name any source of gluten.

 

Not only that but they ALWAYS let us know if one of their products are made in the same facility or on the same equipment that processes gluten. And believe me, that is a voluntary statement that a LOT of companies don't bother with. Every day I read something written by a "supersensitive" that says they got glutened by something with no gluten ingredients, but they found out when they called the company that the stuff was made on the same equipment that processes wheat.

 

With Kraft, you never have to call the company because it will say so on the label.

 

Honestly...Kraft is about the most trustworthy company out there for a celiac. Honestly.

 

I agree with SMRI.  If they're so great, they should test and get certified and prove it.  They're a big enough company with plenty of money.

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bartfull Rising Star

I agree with SMRI. If they're so great, they should test and get certified and prove it. They're a big enough company with plenty of money.

 

 

Fine! Then don't eat their products.

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bartfull Rising Star

If you read about the certification process (google it), you will see that it is very costly. That is why cerified gluten-free products cost the consumer about twice (or more) what regular products cost. If I can read a label from a trusted company and see that it is gluten-free, I will buy that product rather than relying on the certified gluten-free label. If I were too lazy to read labels or to do research about which companies to trust for accuracy in labeling, I couldn't afford to eat! I believe it was on the first page of this thread that the list of companies that are trustworthy (Kraft, Unilever, Con-Agra, etc.) was posted. So you don't even need to do the research because it was already done for you!

 

So rather than demanding that these good companies spend all that money for certification just so you won't have to bother reading the labels, let those of us who DO read labels and DO know which companies to trust, continue to buy these products at a reasonable price.

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SMRI Collaborator

OK, one more time: Many products claim to be gluten-free but if you read the label you will find out otherwise. For example, I just read a thread about a coffee substitute (Dandy somethingorother) that is labeled gluten-free, but it is made with barley.

 

That's just like that beer folks have mentioned that claims to be gluten-free because the gluten has been "removed", but it has made every celiac who has tried it sick.

 

The new law does NOT require that companies test their products so there are still companies using the gluten-free claim where they should not. The only thing that is meaningful is something labeled certified gluten-free, because those things ARE tested.

 

Which leaves us back where we started. We HAVE to read the labels on everything we eat. If we just go by a claim of gluten-free, we might get glutened anyway. So we read the labels. And Kraft products are one of the few we can trust to name any source of gluten.

 

Not only that but they ALWAYS let us know if one of their products are made in the same facility or on the same equipment that processes gluten. And believe me, that is a voluntary statement that a LOT of companies don't bother with. Every day I read something written by a "supersensitive" that says they got glutened by something with no gluten ingredients, but they found out when they called the company that the stuff was made on the same equipment that processes wheat.

 

With Kraft, you never have to call the company because it will say so on the label.

 

Honestly...Kraft is about the most trustworthy company out there for a celiac. Honestly.

 

OK, one more time---the FDA doesn't ALLOW them to put gluten-free on the label if they are NOT......

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bartfull Rising Star

Read the law again. They DON'T HAVE TO TEST TO CLAIM SOMETHING IS gluten-free. If enough people complain about a product labeled gluten-free, the FDA can come in and bust them, but until that happens, companies like that coffee substitute and that beer labeled "gluten removed" can continue to claim gluten-free status. So while the new law is a start, it really hasn't changed much for us. We HAVE to read the labels. EVERY TIME.

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psawyer Proficient

I agree with SMRI.  If they're so great, they should test and get certified and prove it.  They're a big enough company with plenty of money.

The cost of that testing will not come out of their profits--the shareholders would rebel. It can only come by increasing the cost of the product at retail. Food is a big part of our monthly budget. I don't need it to increase for no good reason.

Kraft would also lose customers from the 99% who don't care about gluten. Bad business decision for Kraft.

I think we have beaten this to death. If anybody has any genuinely NEW ideas, please share them. Otherwise, we are done here.

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becky-01 Newbie

I agree with SMRI. If they're so great, they should test and get certified and prove it. They're a big enough company with plenty of money.

 

 

Fine! Then don't eat their products.

 

If it were as cut and dry as "don't eat their products" ... why do we have this forum??  Why do we need this forum if everything is just flat out cut and dry??  I say we just shut down this forum then, according to your opinion, because we don't need to discuss our vent our frustrations ... we need to listen to you and just do away with all modes of venting.  Don't you know, that I have sense enough to NOT buy nor eat their products?!  I'm here to complain and hopefully get a rise out of Kraft about their loose methods of stating their products are gluten free.  It is not right and the government should step in and tighten the reigns.  All you people that think it's "OK" ... are the reason things are not more strict.  If you had the guts to step up and complain about it, instead of sweep it under the rug, things would be different.  There's power in many and failure in the weak.

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becky-01 Newbie

The cost of that testing will not come out of their profits--the shareholders would rebel. It can only come by increasing the cost of the product at retail. Food is a big part of our monthly budget. I don't need it to increase for no good reason.

Kraft would also lose customers from the 99% who don't care about gluten. Bad business decision for Kraft.

I think we have beaten this to death. If anybody has any genuinely NEW ideas, please share them. Otherwise, we are done here.

 

I think we can agree to disagree.

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I also had extreme TMJ pain that began within months of getting my wisdom teeth out at - you guessed it - 17 years old. I was in and out of doctors for my various symptoms for about 5 years before I gave up, but during that time I had also kept getting reffered to different kinds of doctors that had their own, different solutions to my TMJ issue, an issue which I only recently discovered was related to my other symptoms. I began with physical therapy, and the physical therapist eventually broke down at me after many months, raising her voice at me and saying that there was nothing she could do for me. After that saga, I saw a plastic surgeon at the request of my GP, who he knew personally. This palstic surgeon began using botox injections to stop my spasming jaw muscles, and he managed to get it covered by my insurace in 2011, which was harder to do back then. This helped the pain tremendously, but did not solve the underlying problem, and I had to get repeat injections every three months. After a couple of years, this began to lose effectiveness, and I needed treatments more often than my insurance would cover. The surgeon did a scan on the joint and saw slight damage to the tissues. He then got approved by insurance to do a small surgery on the massseter (jaw) muscle - making an incision, and then splicing tissue into the muscle to stop the spasming. It worked amazingly, but about three months later it had stopped working. I was on the verge of seeing the top oral surgeon in our city, but instead of operating on me, he referred me to a unique group of dentists who focus on the TMJ and its biomechanical relationship to teeth occlusion (i.e. how the teeth fit together). This is what your dentist did, and what he did to you was boderline if not outright malpractice. There is a dental field that specializes in doing this kind of dental work, and it takes many years of extra schooling (and a lot of money invested into education) to be able to modify teeth occusion in this manner. Just based on the way you describe your dentist doing this, I can tell he was not qualified to do this to you. Dentists who are qualified and engage in this practice take many measurments of your head, mouth, teeth, etc., they take laboratory molds of your teeth, and they then make a complete, life-size model of your skull and teeth to help them guide their work on you. They then have a lab construct, and give you what is called a "bite splint." It looks and feels like a retainer, but its function is entirely different. This is essentially a literal splint for the TMJ that situates on the teeth. The splint is progressively modified once or twice per week, over several months, in order to slowly move the joint to its correct position. The muscles spasm less, stress is taken off the joint, as the joint slowly moves back into its proper position. The pain reduces each month, each week, sometimes even each day you go in for a visit. The joint has to be moved in this manner with the splint BEFORE the modification to the teeth begins. They then add to your tooth structure with small bits of composite, to keep the joint in its proper place after it has been sucessfully repositioned. Subtracting from your teeth, by grinding down bits of your natural tooth structure, is done very conservatively, if they have to do it at all. This process worked for me - after six months, my face, jaw, neck all felt normal, and I had no more pain - a feeling I had not had in a long time. It also made my face look better. I had not realized the true extent that the spasming muscles and the joint derangement had effected the shape of my face. The pain began to return after a few months, but nowhere near where it had been before. This immense reduction in pain lasted for a little over two years. The treatment still ultimately failed, but it is not their fault, and it is still the treatment that has given me the most relief to this day. Later on, I even went about three years with very, very good pain reduction, before the joint severely destabilized again. This field of dentistry is the last line treatment for TMJ issues before oral surgery on the TMJ. There aren't as many denists around who practice this anymore, and the practice is currently shrinking due to dentists opting for less espensive, additional educations in things like professional whitening, which have a broader marketability. Getting this treatment is also very expensive if not covered by insurance (in America at least). My first time was covered by insurance, second time was not, though the dentist took pity on me due to the nature of my case and charged like a quarter of usual pricing. Most cases seen by these dentists are complete successes, and the patient never has to come back again. But occasionally they get a case that is not a success, and I was one of those cases. A little over a year ago, I began seeing the second dentist who keeps my TMJ stable in this manner. The first dentist retired, and then died sadly. A shame too, because he was a truly amazing, knowledgable guy who really wanted to help people. The new dentist began to get suspicious when my joint failed to stay stable after I was finished with the bite splint and his modifications, so he did another scan on me. This is ten years after the first scan (remember, I said the surgeon saw "slight" damage to the tissue on the first scan). This new scan revealed that I now no longer have cartilage in the joint, on both sides - complete degeneration of the soft tissues and some damage to the bone. The dentist sat me down and had a talk with me after these results came in, and said that when he sees damage like this in cases like mine, that the damage to the joint is most likely autoimmune, and that, in his experinece, it is usually autoimmune. He has sent patients with cases like mine to Mayo Clinic. He said he will continue to see me as long as the treatment continues to offer me relief, but also said that I will probably have to see a dentist for this type of treatment for the rest of my life. He is not currently recommending surgery due to my young age and the fact that the treatment he provides manages my symptoms pretty well. I still see this dentist today, and probably will see this kind of dental specialist for the rest of my life, since they have helped with this issue the most. I did not inform him that I am 100% sure that I have celiac disease (due to my complete symptom remission upon gluten cessation). I didn't inform him because I thought it would be inappropriate due to not having a formal diagnosis. I was disappointed, because I had believed I had caught it BEFORE it had done permanent damage to my body. I had never suspected that my TMJ issues may be related to my other symptoms, and that the damage would end up complete and permanent. Luckily, I caught it about 6 months after my other joints started hurting, and they stopped hurting right after I went gluten free, and haven't hurt since. I of course did the necessary research after the results of the second scan, and found out that the TMJ is the most commonly involved joint in autoimmune disease of the intestines, and if mutliple joints are effected, it is usually the first one effected. This makes complete sense, since the TMJ is the most closely related joint to the intestines, and literally controls the opening that allows food passage into your intestines. I am here to tell you, that if anyone says there is no potential relationship between TMJ issues and celiac disease, they are absolutely wrong. Just google TMJ and Celiac disease, and read the scientific articles you find. Research on issues regarding the TMJ is relatively sparse, but you will find the association you're looking for validated.
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @SuzanneL! Which tTG was that? tTG-IGA? tTG-IGG? Were there other celiac antibody tests run from that blood draw? Was total IGA measured? By some chance were you already cutting back on gluten by the time the blood draw was taken or just not eating much? For the celiac antibody tests to be accurate a person needs to be eating about 10g of gluten daily which is about 4-6 pieces of bread.
    • SuzanneL
      I've recently received a weak positive tTG, 6. For about six years, I've been sick almost everyday. I was told it was just my IBS. I have constant nausea. Sometimes after I eat, I have sharp, upper pain in my abdomen. I sometimes feel or vomit (bile) after eating. The doctor wanted me to try a stronger anti acid before doing an endoscopy. I'm just curious if these symptoms are pointing towards Celiac Disease? 
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