Dental Cleaning?

[SkyBlue4]

So I woke up last night with horrible abdominal pain. Today I'm weak and I'm having diarrhea. As most of us do when the symptoms begin, I mentally listed what I ate yesterday and came up completely empty. I looked around and no one else in my family is sick so I believe it's gluten that's got me. This is my worst reaction yet. 

 

Then it came to me. I had my teeth cleaned yesterday. I began researching and found an article written about a dentist who claims that a lot of products used in dental offices actually contain gluten and his office is now gluten-free. 

What do you think? 

 

This is the article....

Open Original Shared Link

 

and here is his office website and blog....

Open Original Shared Link

[pricklypear1971]

I had a reaction after a cleaning, last month. My dentist screens for gluten and the cleaning paste is said to be gluten-free - I called the manufacturer. I also am puzzled because my diet was pretty clean around the time of cleaning - no eating out, etc. there is one possibility (a new sausage I tried, marked gluten-free and I'm yet to retest). I do not react to random foods - I react to gluten pretty specifically, and that's it.... and I'm 2 1/2 years gluten-free.

The paste used was Enamel Pro with acp, cinnamon flavor. The previous cleaning (2 years ago, same dentist, have no idea paste used) was fine.

The manufacturer would NOT tell me ingredients, just claimed it's gluten-free. I am always suspicious of answers like that since I wonder about gluten derived, processed ingredients. Next time I won't let them use that paste.

Anyway, I urge you to find out the name if the paste used for cleaning and have them use something else next time, if you think it was the issue.

[IrishHeart]

I think he is brilliant and will make a ton of money off people who jump on the gluten free bandwagon.

Excellent marketing strategy (although he does say he was motivated by his celiac brother)

 

Does he charge more, like everyone else does for "G F items"? 

 

My point is...it's overkill, IMHO.

 

The dental hygenist at my dentist's office took the time to contact every single manufacturer of all the products in the office and not one could say there was any gluten in the products. I did not ask her to do this, BTW...she is just very sweet.

 

The only one she could not verify was the minty paste  (so we use plain pumice) and the minty floss (which I hate anyway).

[pricklypear1971]

I think he is brilliant and will make a ton of money off people who jump on the gluten free bandwagon.

Does he charge more, like everyone else does for "G F items"?

My point is...it's overkill, IMHO.

The dental hygenist at my dentist's office took the time to contact every single manufacturer of all the products in the office and not one could say there was any gluten in the products. I did not ask her to do this, BTW...she is just very sweet.

The only one she could not verify was the minty paste (so we use plain pumice) and the minty floss (which I hate anyway).

Why is it overkill? It's what we (gluten sensitive) do every day - screen what goes in our bodies for gluten.

The dentist can understand the need because his brother is Celiac. Is gluten-free dentistry a market niche, sure. But he can still treat non-celiacs, he can just safely treat Celiacs/gluten sensitives as well (without having to check his products every time).

Dentists build a reputation based in more nebulous talents or marketing ploys - like "pain free". Yeah. A pain-free dentist my a$$....

[IrishHeart]

It's overkill because the vast majority of the products do not have gluten in them.  The hygenist

did all the research --for weeks--and this was her report to me. That was my whole point.

 

So billing yourself as "gluten free" is sort of redundant.

[pricklypear1971]

In my opinion it isn't, because that's equivalent to saying almost all sausage is gluten free so eat all sausage without checking the label. You've always got to check the label. All it takes is one product with gluten, in our bodies, to make us sick.

Think of all the anxiety surrounding dentist visits. Alleviating that glutening anxiety is wonderful, IMO, for a gluten sensitive.

[IrishHeart]

In my opinion it isn't, because that's equivalent to saying almost all sausage is gluten free so eat all sausage without checking the label. 

I respectfully disagree that these are not exactly synonymous. And I think you know what I am saying about selling it to the general population as "G F" being overkill.

 

He is guaranteeing, ostensibly that the products in his office are G F. Good for us, yes, but he is starting with the basic premise/statement "there's gluten in many dental products"  ...says who? I'd like to see  the scientific data for that one.

 

I told you the research the dental hygenist did and she could not find ANY with gluten in  it.

 

The ones she could not verify (one polishing paste and one floss) probably did not have gluten either, but those companies could not verify EXACTLY, so we excluded those 2 things. Doesn't mean they contain gluten, though, so we erred on the side of caution.

 

I doubt there is much variety in the basic dental cleaning supplies in dental offices. 

 

She asked "what do you think"....so, I gave my humble opinion and people can always disregard it.   

[kareng]

Its nice that a dentist " gets" gluten free. However, I haven't found any dental products with gluten, yet. And it doesn't really look like he does " get" what is gluten. He uses the old myth about artificial flavors to scare people to his business.

Whatever.... He is happy to see his link here.

[SkyBlue4]

Thank you for your replies. I've been researching for a couple of hours now (can't get off the couch anyway) and looking up all of the individual companies that make the polishing pastes (my dental office is closed or I would call and find out the exact brand of paste used).

 

In any case, it does seem that there are a lot of manufacturers that state "gluten-free"on the supplier websites and if it's not there, you can sometimes go to their company website and find a statement somewhere stating their products are gluten-free.

 

I think I'll take a look at floss next.I have to admit that it wouldn't take much to convince me to avoid the dentist. Maybe I'm secretly hoping to find my excuse.   

[Gemini]

So I woke up last night with horrible abdominal pain. Today I'm weak and I'm having diarrhea. As most of us do when the symptoms begin, I mentally listed what I ate yesterday and came up completely empty. I looked around and no one else in my family is sick so I believe it's gluten that's got me. This is my worst reaction yet. 

 

Then it came to me. I had my teeth cleaned yesterday. I began researching and found an article written about a dentist who claims that a lot of products used in dental offices actually contain gluten and his office is now gluten-free. 

What do you think? 

 

This is the article....

Open Original Shared Link

 

and here is his office website and blog....

Open Original Shared Link

I'll address this directly to avoid wasting time I do not have.......I have had more dental work than most of the Celiacs on this forum combined.  There is not a dental procedure I have not had done because I triggered for Celiac at a very young age and have the dental damage to prove it.  I spent a month researching this and calling the few dental suppliers there are out there.  There are not a bunch of them and many products come from just a few companies that most dentists use.  

 

What I discovered is what Irish said.....I never found any product that contained a gluten component. Not. Any.  They make heavy use in some products of gums....xanthan, guar and a few others that can cause stomach distress and diarrhea if enough is swallowed and it happened to me once, after I had tons of impression goo in my mouth for a dental implant.  I am a very, very, very sensitive Celiac who follows a strict diet and I go to the dentist a lot and never ever have had a gluten reaction.  I can guarantee that no one else on this forum did the research and talked to as many people as I did about this problem.  Even the minty toothpaste is safe.  Natural flavorings are not as big of a threat as some Celiacs insist they are.

 

You probably may have reacted to something they used but the odds of it being gluten are pretty remote. And billing yourself as a gluten free dental office is exceptionally redundant. It's like labeling a can of peas gluten free when in actuality, they are naturally gluten free. Please do not fear going to the dentist and do not let all the fear mongers on Celiac websites convince you that the dental products will get you. There are already too many Celiac myths that we just cannot seem to kill that keep people afraid and limit what they can do without fear. Your stomach is sensitive due to Celiac and things that will not bother others may bother you, but it doesn't mean a glutening.  Diarrhea does not just happen with Celiac Disease.

[Gemini]

Thank you for your replies. I've been researching for a couple of hours now (can't get off the couch anyway) and looking up all of the individual companies that make the polishing pastes (my dental office is closed or I would call and find out the exact brand of paste used).

 

In any case, it does seem that there are a lot of manufacturers that state "gluten-free"on the supplier websites and if it's not there, you can sometimes go to their company website and find a statement somewhere stating their products are gluten-free.

 

I think I'll take a look at floss next.I have to admit that it wouldn't take much to convince me to avoid the dentist. Maybe I'm secretly hoping to find my excuse.   

You posted before I did but I had to respond to one statement you made here.......the last one about it wouldn't take much for you to avoid the dentist.

Maybe an underlying fear of dental procedures could have upset your gut enough that it messed with your gut balance?  It wouldn't be the first time.

You should see what happens with my blood pressure when I get near a doctor in a white coat.......  I HATE going to the doctor, any doctor, and it's all fear based. AND my PCP is easy....there is no need for me to do this with her but it still happens.

[SkyBlue4]

I'll address this directly to avoid wasting time I do not have.......I have had more dental work than most of the Celiacs on this forum combined.  There is not a dental procedure I have not had done because I triggered for Celiac at a very young age and have the dental damage to prove it.  I spent a month researching this and calling the few dental suppliers there are out there.  There are not a bunch of them and many products come from just a few companies that most dentists use.  

 

What I discovered is what Irish said.....I never found any product that contained a gluten component. Not. Any.  They make heavy use in some products of gums....xanthan, guar and a few others that can cause stomach distress and diarrhea if enough is swallowed and it happened to me once, after I had tons of impression goo in my mouth for a dental implant.  I am a very, very, very sensitive Celiac who follows a strict diet and I go to the dentist a lot and never ever have had a gluten reaction.  I can guarantee that no one else on this forum did the research and talked to as many people as I did about this problem.  Even the minty toothpaste is safe.  Natural flavorings are not as big of a threat as some Celiacs insist they are.

 

You probably may have reacted to something they used but the odds of it being gluten are pretty remote. And billing yourself as a gluten free dental office is exceptionally redundant. It's like labeling a can of peas gluten free when in actuality, they are naturally gluten free. Please do not fear going to the dentist and do not let all the fear mongers on Celiac websites convince you that the dental products will get you. There are already too many Celiac myths that we just cannot seem to kill that keep people afraid and limit what they can do without fear. Your stomach is sensitive due to Celiac and things that will not bother others may bother you, but it doesn't mean a glutening.  Diarrhea does not just happen with Celiac Disease.

 

Ya know, I read on a few of the manufacturer websites of the side effects if swallowed and I did wonder....In the past, the hygienist always had me rinse (swish and spit) afterward. This time she just sprayed my teeth and suctioned my mouth a little. I wonder if I had enough product left to swallow and irritate my system. The diarrhea I could deal with but the abdominal pain, on the other hand, was, well, painful.   

[SkyBlue4]

You posted before I did but I had to respond to one statement you made here.......the last one about it wouldn't take much for you to avoid the dentist.

Maybe an underlying fear of dental procedures could have upset your gut enough that it messed with your gut balance?  It wouldn't be the first time.

You should see what happens with my blood pressure when I get near a doctor in a white coat.......  I HATE going to the doctor, any doctor, and it's all fear based. AND my PCP is easy....there is no need for me to do this with her but it still happens.

I know what you mean. My BP always jumps when I have to see the doctor. 

[IrishHeart]

 

 

You probably may have reacted to something they used but the odds of it being gluten are pretty remote. And billing yourself as a gluten free dental office is exceptionally redundant. It's like labeling a can of peas gluten free when in actuality, they are naturally gluten free. Please do not fear going to the dentist and do not let all the fear mongers on Celiac websites convince you that the dental products will get you. There are already too many Celiac myths that we just cannot seem to kill that keep people afraid and limit what they can do without fear. Your stomach is sensitive due to Celiac and things that will not bother others may bother you, but it doesn't mean a glutening.  Diarrhea does not just happen with Celiac Disease.

 

 

If we had "like buttons" on here, I would be" liking" this reply so much, it would almost be creepy. 

 

Listen to this woman...she is very wise! 

[IrishHeart]

I know what you mean. My BP always jumps when I have to see the doctor. 

Honey, trust me....I swear everyone's BP escalates when they see "the white coats".

 

I make them wait to take it again AFTER I have been there for the visit. I have checked. It drops significantly when I am LEAVING. Even though it has normalized after being gluten-free, it still "spikes" when I walk in there.

 

My GI guy (whom I love and trust, but he is the only one) finds this very significant.  LOL

[dilettantesteph]

My children and I have all had problems after having our teeth cleaned.  Now we stick with one hygienist who listened to our concerns and took them seriously.  She had the office order unflavored products for us and we haven't had any problems since.  We are much more reactive than the average celiac.  From what I hear, dental products are not an issue for the vast majority of celiacs.

[Adalaide]

I've had buttloads of dental work done. The only time I've gotten sick is when I had an impression done for a crown. It wasn't glutened sick, I didn't get foggy or start walking into everything in the house, it was simply (hah!) GI sick. It was so bad that in those first hours I was like omg what if there was gluten. Nope, there was just something (who knows what) in it that made in incredibly ill. I mean, you are NOT supposed to end up swallowing any of that stuff but seriously... you walk out of there picking the tiniest pieces of that goop out of your mouth for hours afterword.

 

Also, complete unrelated but she was all "it'll taste like mango." Yeah, maybe if it was made by a criminally insane chemist who never tasted a mango but had the flavor described to him by a 3 year old and then attempted to create a flavor specifically to torture patients.

[IrishHeart]

Boatload of dental work here, too. (and thank you so much for that, celiac!)

 

The mold materials may have had some gums in there that did not agree with me.

 

And I always feel like total crap after anesthetics/numbing agents/any of the "--caines" family.

 

But it still is not a glutening, as far as symptoms go, for me.

[notme]

and here's my 2cents lolz - i have a HUGE family.  sometimes only one of us gets sick (not often, but sometimes) just the right germ in the right place at the right time.  maybe you just have a bug. 

 

and, hormones will make my gi tract all wonky - i get tired and of course abdominal pain.  the first couple of months (ok, the first year ) i went crazy thinking "what did i eat?"  started food journaling again, etc.  when all along it was 'punctuation'   

 

hope you feel better

[Gemini]

My children and I have all had problems after having our teeth cleaned.  Now we stick with one hygienist who listened to our concerns and took them seriously.  She had the office order unflavored products for us and we haven't had any problems since.  We are much more reactive than the average celiac.  From what I hear, dental products are not an issue for the vast majority of celiacs.

You  must be reacting to something else in the product....and what that is I just couldn't make a guess at.  There is no gluten, imaginary or real, in the vast majority of dental products.  You can never say never 100% on anything in life but if there was gluten in tooth polish/paste at the dentist, I would be reacting to it because I have my teeth cleaned way more often than the average person, due to Sjogren's Syndrome. Like I said, Celiac's have very sensitive guts anyway, due to the nature of our disease, so reacting to non-gluten items is a very real problem. Gums are a good example.

[Gemini]

Ya know, I read on a few of the manufacturer websites of the side effects if swallowed and I did wonder....In the past, the hygienist always had me rinse (swish and spit) afterward. This time she just sprayed my teeth and suctioned my mouth a little. I wonder if I had enough product left to swallow and irritate my system. The diarrhea I could deal with but the abdominal pain, on the other hand, was, well, painful.   

I'm telling you, I got sick as a dog one visit to the dentist but they did many impressions with that goopy goo for a dental implant.  It was like eating liquidy Playdoe and good luck not swallowing any!    That stuff is made mostly from gums so now they have to get it right the first time.  As long as I don't require multiple impressions, I do fine.  I had severe abdominal pain that time so now I get a bit paranoid when they have to use them.