Letter From Dentist To Dental Patient With Ai Suspicions What Should It Say?

[1desperateladysaved]

About 8 years ago my dentist told me that people with so many teeth problems usually have an AI disease.  Well, I didn't know what he meant and didn't look it up.  I was too tired.  I was about to do something for my health anyway.  I felt like I was falling apart from the inside out.  Anyway, tomorrow I am going to see this dentist and would like to show him what might help some patient.  I am trying to get a sample letter.  Could you help?  It would be nice to supply one of the links often used here for basic med. information. 

 

 

Dear Dental Patient:

 

You seem to be having a great deal of trouble with your teeth. Assuming you are giving them adequate care, you may want to look into the possibility of celiac disease. Celiac disease is an auto-immune problem in which the small intestine (Intended to absorb nutrients) is broken down by contact with a substance found in staple foods. This can cause mal-nutrition even in a well nourished person.

 

Please check with your doctor and have them run a full celiac panel to see if you might have this trouble.

 

Insert full celiac details here (Please help, I can never find this when I want it)  Like perhaps 300 symptom link?

 

Insert a website with general medical information about celiac.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me and the patients that might receive this letter.

 

Dee

 

Please see my revision BELOW.

[GF Lover]

Dee,

 

I really doubt that a Dentist would give an "alarmist" form letter to a patient.  Suggesting an AI to a patient is completely different than suggesting a rather "uncommon" disease.  Of course, this is my opinion only.

 

Colleen

[1desperateladysaved]

Oh, I got the idea from seeing information on this sight that dental problems can indicate celiac disease.  There is said to be a movement to instruct dentists to inform patients in this matter.  If I would have received a message like this, I may have been tested or diagnosed 5 years earlier.  My dentist is brilliant and is very into wholestic dentistry and considering the whole body.

 

Also, many of us lost the enamel off our teeth while brushing them regularly  years before we were diagnosed.

[1desperateladysaved]

Here is how my version has progressed.  I wanted help, but I am running out of time seeing as I need to leave for my appointment.  Please let me know if you have any ideas to improve it.

 

.NEW VERSION IN NEXT POST> SKIP IF YOU Want.

 

Dear Dental Patient:

 

You seem to be having a great deal of trouble with your teeth. Assuming you are giving them adequate care you may want to look into the possibility of celiac disease. Celiac disease is an auto-immune problem in which the small intestine (Intended to absorb nutrients) is broken down by contact with a substance found in staple foods. This can cause mal-nutrition even in a well nourished person.

 

Please check with your doctor and have them run a full celiac panel to see if you might have this trouble. Some classic symptoms of the disease are diarrhea and weight loss. However, many of the people with celiac do not have these symptoms. Other symptoms include fatigue, mental fog, or mailaise. One might also notice anemia, or necessity to supplement iron with borderline results. A complete list of the possible 300 symptoms are included on the following website.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

A full celiac panel includes at least these tests: You must be eating gluten for these tests to be accurate. Please get tested before changing your diet.

 

Source: Open Original Shared Link

 

ITGIgA

IgA Endomysial antibody (EMA)

Serum Iga

Deaminated gliadin peptide (DGP IgA and IgG)

 

It may also include tests for Iron levels, vitamin B, magnesium, and vitamin D which are frequently low in celiac patients.

 

Thank you for your kind attention in this matter and let us know how your testing comes out.

[1desperateladysaved]

Dear Dental Patient:

You have lost the enamel off of your teeth. Sometimes this may indicated a disease called celiac. Celiac disease is an auto-immune problem in which the small intestine (Intended to absorb nutrients) is broken down by contact with a substance found in staple foods. This can cause mal-nutrition even in a well nourished person.

Some classic symptoms of the disease are diarrhea and weight loss. However, many of the people with celiac do not have these symptoms. Other symptoms include fatigue, mental fog, or malaise. One might also notice anemia, or necessity to supplement iron with borderline results. A complete list of the possible 300 symptoms are included on the following website.

Open Original Shared Link

If you have any symptoms, you may want to check with your doctor and have a full celiac panel includes at least these tests: You must be eating gluten for these tests to be accurate. Please get tested before changing your diet.

Source: Open Original Shared Link

ITGIgA
IgA Endomysial antibody (EMA)
Serum Iga
Deaminated gliadin peptide (DGP IgA and IgG)

It may also include tests for Iron levels, vitamin B, magnesium, and vitamin D which are frequently low in celiac patients.

Thank you for your kind attention in this matter and may your teeth and health prosper.

[kareng]

I doubt a dentist would give out that letter.  I hope they wouldn't without verifying the info.  In fact, they should probably have it written by the Celiac Center if they are going to go any further than saying  "We see teeth problems like these, sometimes in Celiac patients.  You might want to check with your doctor".   A dentist should not be giving out medical advice or info except about teeth/mouth issues.

 

But - let us know what he says.  At least he is looking for this and will mention it as something they should look into.

[1desperateladysaved]

Yes, I agree about verifying the information.  Maybe I will present it as my dream letter, so neither of us feel so on the spot about it.  I already have given him the write up that tooth enamel loss and celiac are linked.  He is looking for it, he saw it in me, BUT somehow understanding didn't take place.

 

It grieves me all of the dental lectures I have had (and tried to follow) only to hear them all again the next time as if I didn't care for my teeth.  Here they were falling apart from the inside out!  I do hope that others will be caught AND DIAGNOSED sooner.  Thirty years "in the wrong direction" takes one a long ways of coarse.  I want them to consider AI disease as well as teeth care every time dental disease is present.  my two youngest children (adopted) didn't have a toothbrush for the first 6 and 8 years of their life.  Between the two of them they had 1 cavity.  Something more than teeth neglect is at play.  Diet is surely at play here also.  Though my son that had frequented candy shops whenever he had any money.  Didn't have money for food, but used any he got for candy.  Still, great teeth?

[notme]

not everyone has celiac that has dental issues.  or of the THREE HUNDRED SYMPTOMS we get alot of that on here.  it must be gluten.  well, maybe it's not.  maybe some people just don't brush their teeth or practice proper hygeine.  my tooth enamal is just fine, so, if you're going by that,  i just blew your theory.  my dentist would not be that irresponsible.

[LauraTX]

I don't think it would be appropriate to give a form letter to a dentist to give out to his patients.  If you'd like, you can provide him with printouts of info from reputable sources for him/her to read.  However, as a patient, it is fully your responsibility to listen to what your doctor tells you and take it in.  He mentioned the autoimmune disease link to you long ago, and you didn't go get it checked out.  The dentist mentioning it to you is a sign they know their stuff and care about their patients.  Maybe you can let him know it would help patients to continually mention it to them and press the issue, but your proposed letter is far too specific and overreaches some boundaries.  If someone isn't going to go get something potentially serious checked out with mild prodding, there isn't much that can be done about them not taking responsibility for their own health.

[JaneWhoLovesRain]

Personally I think if my dentist has sent me a similar letter 15-20 years ago I would have 1) not believed him for a second that I might have celiac and 2) freaked out cause it would be scary to get a letter like this.

 

However, I will say that if he examed my mouth/teeth and then verbally told me his findings it would have gone over much better.  He could have answered questions I had, reassured me I'm not going to die within the week, given me a print out, offered to write a letter to my doctor, and also told me that chances are I do not have celiac but I should perhaps be tested because there is a slight possibility of it, and it would be good to know this sooner rather than later so I can start treatment.  I think if any medical doctor/dentist sees something that is not in his field of expertise but is concerning he has an obligation to inform the patiet (for instance if the eye doctor notices a bad looking mole on the tip of a patient's nose he needs to tell the patient to get it checked out and follow up to make sure this happens, unfortunately most doctors don't have time to make sure the patient follows up.)

 

I remember going to a new dentist 15 years ago and the hygenist commented on something about my teeth, I don't remember exactly what it was other than some sort of abberation such as ridges or pitting or something that I now know can be indicitive of celiac but back then I hadn't a clue.  This along with a lifetime of multiple cavities, root canals an crowns should have clued a dentist in somewhere along the line that something might be going on but other than this one hygienist there has never been any mention of anything at all by any other dentist or hygenist.  Probably most dentists are as clueless about celiac as other doctors.  SInce my siblings have similar dental issues but do NOT have celiat it may just be a genetic thing.

 

(As an aside I just did a search of images of "teeth celiac" and I've got to say my teeth don't look like any of those. IMH, I think the vast majority of teeth problems are not celiac related)

[IrishHeart]

If you want to alert your dentist, tell him dental enamel defects in CHILDREN is a celiac symptom.

 

That way, if he sees these signs in the children he treats, he may mention it to the parents.

 

(but the idea of a letter seems alarmist and unnecessary to me. )

 

"Not all dental enamel defects are caused by celiac disease, although the problem is fairly common among people with the condition, particularly children, according to Alessio Fasano, M.D., medical director at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. And dental enamel defects might be the only presenting manifestations of celiac disease.

Dental enamel problems stemming from celiac disease involve permanent dentition and include tooth discoloration—white, yellow, or brown spots on the teeth—poor enamel formation, pitting or banding of teeth, and mottled or translucent-looking teeth. The imperfections are symmetrical and often appear on the incisors and molars."

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

:Also " This study supports that celiac disease is highly associated with

dental enamel defects in childhood, most likely because of the onset

of celiac disease during enamel formation; no such association was found in

adults. Our study also supports the association between celiac disease and

aphthous ulcer. All physicians should examine the mouth,

including the teeth, which may provide an opportunity to diagnose

celiac disease. In addition, celiac disease should be added to the differential diagnosis

of dental enamel defects and aphthous ulcers."

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Open Original Shared Link

[BlessedMommy]

Irish, my oldest daughter had brown spots on the back of her front teeth from an early age. I wonder if that piece of info would be enough to convince the doctor to test her for celiac.

[kareng]

I wonder what her dentist said when presented with this? I think he should run it by a lawyer before sending it. It may look like he is diagnosing outside the legal limits on a dentist.

[IrishHeart]

I wonder what her dentist said when presented with this? I think he should run it by a lawyer before sending it. It may look like he is diagnosing outside the legal limits on a dentist.

 

 

agree,

but then again, we have a plethora of people "diagnosing" with celiac and NCGS : chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, internet charlatans. 

 

I think if a dentist notices dental enamel damage, there's really no harm in suggesting to the parents that something may be amiss.

[kareng]

agree,

but then again, we have a plethora of people "diagnosing" with celiac and NCGS : chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, internet charlatans. 

 

I think if a dentist notices dental enamel damage, there's really no harm in suggesting to the parents that something may be amiss.

Exactly! Suggesting is one thing... A detailed letter is another.

For example, I have dry eyes. My eye doctor ( not an MD) mentions it. She says it doesn't seem as bad as her patients with Sjorgen's. She tells me she notices it in her Celiac patients. But says we will monitor it, and if it gets worse, she will refer me to a doctor who diagnoses Sjorgen's. She just gives me a heads up that I should watch for something and consult a doctor if I feel it is warranted. Giving me a detailed letter about Sjorgen's could be seen as diagnosing me.

[IrishHeart]

Exactly! Suggesting is one thing... A detailed letter is another.

For example, I have dry eyes. My eye doctor ( not an MD) mentions it. She says it doesn't seem as bad as her patients with Sjorgen's. She tells me she notices it in her Celiac patients. But says we will monitor it, and if it gets worse, she will refer me to a doctor who diagnoses Sjorgen's. She just gives me a heads up that I should watch for something and consult a doctor if I feel it is warranted. Giving me a detailed letter about Sjorgen's could be seen as diagnosing me.

 

 

The woman who we rented from while waiting for our house to be finished is an acupuncturist.

she offered to do a "live blood cell analysis" for me to diagnose what may be wrong with me  (she had just learned how to do it and was very excited to try it) and I said "No thanks." She pressed me with "but I could help you with your health!"

 

Little did this woman know who she was selling this malarkey to... me, the skeptic of all things that quack.....I said "are you a pathologist?hematologist?" no...well, how can you diagnose a thing from looking at someone's blood--under a microscope?"

 

I left her standing there with her mouth hanging wide open. I should send her the report that blows that stupidity right out of the water.

What bothers me is she gets away with this crap. 

[kareng]

T

 

I left her standing there with her mouth hanging wide open. I should send her the report that blows that stupidity right out of the water.

What bothers me is she gets away with this crap.

Not sure which is worse - that she does these bogus procedures or that she believes they are real.

[1desperateladysaved]

Open Original Shared Link

 

This is telling dentists to watch for it (Cananda) and ask patients to see the doctor.  It wasn't the one I was looking for, but I found this one so far.

[IrishHeart]

Open Original Shared Link

 

This is telling dentists to watch for it (Cananda) and ask patients to see the doctor.  It wasn't the one I was looking for, but I found this one so far.

 

 

This is  a Canadian celiac association educating the dentists about it. That's okay. 

 

This it NOT a letter for dentists to give to patients. Two different things.

[1desperateladysaved]

https://www.celiac.com/articles/23367/1/Dental-Enamel-Defects-Indicate-Adult-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

 

Quoting the article "From this study, the team concludes that enamel defects are common in adult celiac disease, and that the observation of enamel defects offers a way to diagnose celiac disease. This item was posted by the administrator on August 23, 2013.

 

Blessed Lady perhaps you could show this to your doctor, if I don't find the exact one that I am still looking for.

[IrishHeart]

https://www.celiac.com/articles/23367/1/Dental-Enamel-Defects-Indicate-Adult-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

 

Quoting the article "From this study, the team concludes that enamel defects are common in adult celiac disease, and that the observation of enamel defects offers a way to diagnose celiac disease. This item was posted by the administrator on August 23, 2013.

 

Blessed Lady perhaps you could show this to your doctor, if I don't find the exact one that I am still looking for.

 

 

But the study also states: None of the patients was diagnosed because of enamel defects....in other words, in some patients, dental problems are an issue, but they are not the sole

symptom nor were they diagnosed because of it. 

[1desperateladysaved]

ww.happyhealthyteeth.com/wpt/blog-docs/jcda-oral-manifestations-of-celiac-article.pdf  I think I like this article that I think it was Irish Heart posted the best of all as it is so detailed.

 

 

https://www.celiac.com/articles/23367/1/Dental-Enamel-Defects-Indicate-Adult-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

 

Quoting the article "From this study, the team concludes that enamel defects are common in adult celiac disease, and that the observation of enamel defects offers a way to diagnose celiac disease. This item was posted by the administrator on August 23, 2013.

 

Blessed Lady perhaps you could show this to your doctor, if I don't find the exact one that I am still looking for.

[SMRI]

There is nothing wrong with a dentist suggesting a patient see an MD about a possible medical problem, Celiac or other, based on findings with the teeth or mouth.  Our son's eye doctor brought his possible allergies to our attention based on the bumps inside his eyelids.  That is totally appropriate and expected.  What is NOT appropriate is some lay-person giving out medical advice via a letter to give to patients.  Ask your dentist if he sees a connection with mouth/teeth problems and Celiac and go from there.  He very well may already do this with patients.