Teeth Problems?

[Susan555]

Hello! I was wondering if anyone else with celiac had problems with their teeth. I am only 30 and a short few years ago I had beautiful teeth. But within a year or so my teeth rapidly started decaying, to the point the dentist couldn't keep up with them or fix them because they were too damaged. I asked 5 different dentist what was causing this to happen and the only answer I got was it looked to them to be from malnutrition. At the time I didn't know about celiac but now it makes sense. For years people accussed me of being anorexic because I am so thin, but I knew I wasn't anorexic, I just couldn't eat without being in pain.

I was curious if anyone else had experianced problems with their teeth as a result of celiac. Thanks Susan

[gf4life]

Oh YES! We just got back from the dentist today with my 9 year old who had to have a tooth pulled. The tooth was dead and they had to pull it before it got absessed. Now we have to take him back in to get fitted for a spacer.

All three of my kids have mouths full of filling and crowns. My just-turned-five year old has 4 crowns and her four front top teeth are so rotten the dentist doesn't know whether to try to fix them or pull them out. But since she is only 5 she really shouldn't have them pulled or they have to fit her with a retainer like appliance to keep the space open.

My 7 year old had so many spots of weak enamel that he has to have them drilled and filled so they aren't so sensitive.

I have conscidered having all my teeth pulled and getting dentures mine are so bad, and I am only 32. Pain and sensitivity daily. BUT now that I have been gluten-free for 4 months I can feel the difference. My teeth are not so sensitive and I don't have pain very often. So I know a lot of it has to do with gluten. In fact some researchers have come to recommend ALL kids with dental enamel defects be screened for Celiac Disease. It is a problem that more than a few Celiacs share.

When I told our dentist about the gluten intolerance it was like you could almost see a lightbulb go off over his head. He shook his head yes, and said that the damage DID look like it could be caused by a genetic disease, especially since the whole family has the teeth problems. I was so happy that our dentist was familiar with celiac disease. It really helps. Now I just have to be careful of the pastes and compounds they mix for our teeth!

God bless,

Mariann

[Susan555]

Mariann,

Thank you so much for writting back. A lightbulb just went off in my head! All of my children have bad teeth. My 4 yr old has had 9 teeth pulled. The dentist always looked at me like I was a bad parent and not taking care of my childrens teeth. I was made to feel very bad, looked down on. But I always did take care of their teeth from the very first one they got, I was brushing! I never thought about having my kids tested for celiac, I guess because they haven't had any stomache problems. But now that you mentioned that about the teeth, I am definetly going to talk to my doctor.

Thank you again. This site makes me feel like I have friends that really understand what I've been through. Susan

[Terri-Anne]

Mariann,

Do you have any website or something to support your comment that "researchers have come to recommend ALL kids with dental enamel defects be screened for Celiac Disease".

I would like to run that by our dentist, as upon my youngest daughter's first dental appointment, one of his first comments was how soft her dental enamel is!

Thanks.

[gf4life]

Here are some articles about the research I mentioned. Almost all of the research in Celiac Disease is going on in Europe. So most of these articles are from European studies. I hope they are useful for you. I thought I had read one from the University of Chicago, but I can't find it now. I'm still looking though.

Dental Enamel Defects and Screening for Celiac Disease

Acta Paediatr Suppl 1996 May;412:47-48

Martelossi S, Zanatta E, Del Santo E, Clarich P, Radovich P, Ventura A

Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Istituto per l'Infanzia IRCCS Trieste, Italy.

Celiac.com 12/18/2002 - Specific dental enamel defects (DEDs) in permanent teeth are frequently observed in celiac patients. We examined the permanent teeth in 6,949 secondary school children living in Trieste (78% of 8,724 children born between 1978 and 1982). Children with DEDs were tested for serum antigliadin antibodies (AGAs) and antiendomysium antibodies (AEAs), and those positive for serum AGAs and/or AEAs underwent intestinal biopsy. Specific DEDs were observed in 52 children (0.59% of the total population examined). Serum AGAs and/or AEAs were positive in 10 cases. Nine patients underwent intestinal biopsy (one refused) and in four cases a flat mucosa was documented (one with short stature, three completely asymptomatic).

The known incidence of celiac disease in the study area was 1:1,000 before the study programme and 1:670 (an increase of 44%) after it. Dental enamel inspection may be utilized for detecting undiagnosed coeliac disease in symptom-free schoolchildren. This clinical test is probably less sensitive than serum AGA screening test, but deserves some consideration because it is cheap, easy to perform and well accepted by the population.

PMID: 8783757, UI: 96377982

Minerva Stomatol 1996 Jul-Aug;45(7-8):341-4 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

[Hypoplasia of enamel. A useful marker in the diagnosis of celiac disease in its subclinical form]

[Article in Italian]

Giammaria G, Ciavarelli Macozzi L, Giammaria AF.

Istituto di Discipline Odontostomatologiche, Universita degli Studi, G. D'Annunzio, Chieti.

Oral cavity alterations are often indicative sign of chronic gastrointestinal disorders, such as malabsorption and malnutrition syndromes. The relationship between oral pathology and intestinal diseases is rarely a chance association. This prompted odontostomatological research to focus on the study of alterations of the oral cavity, hypotetical markers of intestinal disorders if they can be measured in terms of frequency and incidence, as a tool for the early diagnosis of the intestinal disease itself. This paper should be seen against this background since it examines the possible connection between celiac disease and the presence of oral alterations as an index of disease.

PMID: 8984327 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Ann Med 1996 Feb;28(1):9-12 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Coeliac-type permanent-tooth enamel defects.

Aine L.

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.

Systematic and chronologically distributed permanent-tooth so-called coeliac-type enamel defects are highly prevalent both in children and adults with coeliac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy) and dermatitis herpetiformis. Coeliac-type enamel defects were also found in healthy first-degree family members of coeliac disease patients. Our family study showed that these persons with the typical defected enamel were genetically similar to coeliac disease patients (A1;B8;DR3). As coeliac disease patients are often clinically silent with no gastrointestinal symptoms, or they complain only of minimal abdominal discomfort, both dentists and physicians could select patients with coeliac-type enamel defects for gastroenterological and dermatological consultations, including serological screening tests and later jejunal mucosal biopsy.

Publication Types:

[gf4life]

Dental Screening (from Open Original Shared Link )

Case studies concerning enamel defects in children with celiac disease had been reported, but no large scale studies were published until 1986. In an examination of the teeth of the teeth of 86 celiac children, 96% of those with permanent teeth were found to have enamel defects and 75% of their permanent teeth were affected as compared to 8% of the 150 controls. In two separate studies, 83% of adult celiacs were found to have dental enamel defects as compared with 4% of controls while 80% of dermatitis herpetiformis patients also had the typical defects associated with gluten intolerance. Overall, it appears that we may have had our most practical screening tool available all these years. We had to wait for an astute orthodontist to open our eyes and our mouths.

Dr. Lisa Aine gained interest in our dental problems because of her daughter's celiac classmate. After searching the literature for reports of enamel defects in other celiacs, she was inspired to choose this topic for her research and thesis. Her paper was published in the Finnish language along with an English abstract in the Proceedings of the Finnish Dental Society but we had been able to obtain the total work through the outreach program of the University of Missouri Dental Library in Kansas City. Hence, Dr. Aine's writings comprised a major source of our Celiac Sprue Awareness effort in 1989.

Updates of her work since that time were mailed out in March, 1992, to dental schools, state dental societies, and dental health officers of the various state health departments. We encourage each of or members to share the information from Lifeline concerning dental enamel defects with their own dentist. Contributing to the diagnosis of another celiac can be a special joy!

For the confirming diagnosis of celiac disease, the primary test remains the jejunal biopsy.

* Aine, L. (1986) Dental enamel defects and dental maturity in children and adolescents with celiac disease. Thesis, Proc. Finn. Dent. Soc, 82, Suppl III.

* Aine, L., et al. (1991) Dental enamel defects in children with dermatitis herpetiformis. Journal of Pediatrics; 118:572-574.

* Aine, L. et al. (1990) Dental enamel defects in celiac disease. Journal of Oral Pathol Med; 19:241-245.

Lancet. 1991 Mar 30;337(8744):763-4. Related Articles, Links

Dental enamel defects in first-degree relatives of coeliac disease patients.

Maki M, Aine L, Lipsanen V, Koskimies S.

Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland.

To find out whether dental changes can be used to screen for coeliac disease among apparently healthy relatives of patients with the disorder, 56 healthy first-degree relatives of such patients were subjected to dental examination and small bowel biopsy. 25 had coeliac-type general permanent-tooth enamel lesions. All 7 who had histological evidence of coeliac disease also had enamel lesions. The finding that enamel defects may occur without small bowel changes must be borne in mind in screening. The coeliac-type enamel changes were strongly associated with HLA-DR3, and most of the DR3 alleles belonged to the extended haplotype A1; B8; DR3 group.

PMID: 1672395 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[eramica]

Hi! I'm new to this forum but longtime celiac (see my profile)

All I have to say to people with kids with celiac is to try to explain to them that tooth care is especially important because of the celiac disease!! I remember feeling as if I was being tortured for some reason (I thought cosmetic and greedy dentists ) which I didn't care about, especially since my teeth were NEVER WHITE!

Somehow I never knew my tooth problems were celiac related! Maybe my mom did but she was kinda messed up, often ill and probably was a celiac herself... I do remember having my baby teeth drilled and many many dental visits as a child(including various braces),so by the time I was an adolescent I had a mental block about dentists and my teeth ( which never got white, so I got frustrated about brushing) In my late teens and 20's (when I wasn't gluten free) I lost a couple of teeth and twice teeth crumbled when be cleaned or filled. Since then it hasn't been too good...I do remember a dentist telling me I didn't have much enamel and that my teeth were translucent... In the last 10 years the bleaching toothpastes/products have lightened my teeth a bit but I think they may have also weakened them...

I've had to have root canals ,some of which just didn't work and some crowns that fall off...I actually gave up on seeing dentists for a while because I seemed to be worse off after seeing them. (Besides I couldn't afford them) Now I have to get a couple of teeth pulled (finally have some dental) and would like to get a couple of implants, but from what I've been learning about celiac,teeth and bone loss...I bet they'll tell me I'm not a candidate!!!!

So let's all get the dentists to help out with this celiac side-effect/diagnosis!

Hope this has helped someone!

[kalo]

This is a very interesting discussion. I'm still waiting for my test from enterolab to prove I have this. When I was a baby and my first teeth came in they were missing their enamel backs. My mother took me to the dentist to get them filled in. Aside from some fillings and a root canal I haven't done to bad but I can see where they are clear and the enamel is missing. My youngest son who is now 24 has rotten teeth. He claims he looks like a crack addict and is afraid to open his mouth. Waiting on med-i-cal to get the rest of his teeth fixed but poor guy has had a lot of problems. I never thought of celiac with him. He'd probably tell me I was nuts. He works in a restaraunt and has learned to make the best bread. and I can't eat any of it. sniff! Gee, things to think about. I never knew about the teeth relationship. My autistic son won't take care of his teeth and that's sad. To old for me to do it. my daughter had braces due to no bite but other than that she hasn't been to the dentist so I dont know how she's doing. Hugs, Carol B

[Queen Serenity]

Hi!

I, too, suffer from "Rotting Teeth Syndrome" , as I like to call it. My mouth is in ruins, eventhough I have been gluten-free for 9 1/2 years. The dentist couldn't do anything for me, but to offer false teeth. I have three children, and so far--knock on wood-- that none of them display signs of Celiac's. You are not alone. I think that this disease destroys everything in its path, until diagnosed. I also have Hypothyroidism. I hope everyone's children will be able to have their teeth saved. Good Luck!

Vicki

[kalo]

Hi Vicki. I take it that going gluten-free hasn't helped your teeth any. Sorry to hear that. I too have hypothyroidism but adequate treatment with Armour as well as adrenal support with cortef hasn't done anything for me other than I lost 40 lbs which was good. That's why I'm interested in celiac. I'm waiting for my test results from Enterolabs, probably another 2 weeks. Wish it were sooner. Hugs, Carol B

[Terri-Anne]

Can celiac cause hypothyroidism (or are they somehow inter-related?)

Can a person have celiac, and seem to be able to eat some gluten containing foods like bread with no obvious adverse symptoms, but get symptoms (cramps, nausea, diarrhea) from other gluten containing foods like pasta?

[kalo]

Hi Terri-Anne. It makes sence to me that you can get symptoms from somethings and not from others. Reason being is I keep reading that some people have NO symtpoms at all and still have it. I'm currently undergoing testing for it and have NEVER been able to blame my symptoms on what I just ate. My doctor suggested it on my last visit and I was suprised as I didn't think I fit the profile. That was until I started searching. As to the thyroid problems this is what I've read. Untreated celiac disease can lead to a thyroid problem. Also, if you have thyroid problems and are on optimal treatment but are still not well, you probably have celiac disease. I'm 55 as of last week and have had problems since I was born progessively getting worse over the many years. I have a diagnosis of chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia/low thyroid/low adrenal/sinus and allergies/IBS. I've been on a high dose of Armour thyroid since last August thinking it would be my magic pill. So did the top doc and his wife who is a nurse that I went to see. Plus tons of other supplements hormones etc. The ONLY benefit I saw was a 40 lb weight loss which was nice. However, I'm still sick. So I'll be suprised and dissapointed if my test comes back negative. I did the stool test from Enterolabs. My father had chrons and now I wonder if he had this. My grandmother also had severe osteoporisis which can come from untreated celiac. Hugs, Carol B

[Queen Serenity]

Hi Terri-Anne!

I have never heard of anyone, who has Celiac's being sick from some foods, and not others. That doesn't sound right. Maybe somethign else is causing the symptoms. And, yes, Celiac's is related to thyroid problems, because they both are considered Auto-Immune disorders. I wish you luck in your quest to good health for you an your family.

Vicki

Carol B.,

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, 8 years after they discovered my Celiac's. Where did you read that it is caused by a lack of treatment for Celiac's? I'm just curious.

Vicki

[kalo]

Hi Vicki. When my doctor mentioned celiac to me I came home and started wearching the net. don't remember exactly where I found it but I'm sure I read it on a couple of sites. I'll go back and search and see if I can find it. then I will post it here. I found a lot of things I NEVER knew about celiac. Hugs, Carol B

[kalo]

Hi Vicki. I'm still looking for some of the things I origanally found. Check out this link including the link in this article to Mary Shommons about.com thyroid site. She talks about the link between celiac and hashis and the fact that if you treat your celiac your thyroid antibodies can go down and eleminate your thyroid problem. I assume the reverse is true and will keep searching for those sites. Hugs, Carol B

Open Original Shared Link

[Queen Serenity]

Carol,

Thanks for the info! I guess my case is a strange one. Unless, I had the Hypotyroidism all along and never new it. Oh, well! That's life! Keep me posted, if you find anything interesting!

Vicki

[karen149]

Hi, my 3 year old was diagnosed with Celiac and Hashimotos a month ago. Her endocrinologist said the two usually go hand in hand. I would think since she went undiagnosed for so long her thyroid was also affected. Since one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism can be constipation, Celiac was not the first consideration when I took her to the doctor(they seem to just look for D and weight loss) I insisted she be referred to the endo or ANY specialist, where she got diagnosed for both. She is now on Levothroid and has become a very active little girl, which I am happy so see vs. lying on the couch with her blankie!

[kalo]

Hi Vicki. We just got back from vacation and I have a LOT of catching up to do. After a good nights sleep that is. If you read my 7 page health history you will see that it points to being born with a low thyroid problem and I'm 55. As my doctor puts it "Which came first? The chicken or the egg?). Since you are born with celiac I would assume that had it been treated from birth maybe I wouldn't have wound up with low thyroid and all the health challanges I've had over the years. Makes sence to me.

[Guest ~wAvE WeT sAnD~]

I don't know about my teeth, but I have soem jaw pain. Is this related to Celiac's Disease?

[Guest ~wAvE WeT sAnD~]

*some-I can't type.

[celiac3270]

Jill,

You can also correct spelling by going to the top of your post and clicking the edit button. I do that a lot.....don't worry about it, though....it takes time to learn all the features on the board... but you did get your signature made...nice. I can't answer the jaw question: I don't know too much about teeth in general or Celiac and teeth/jaws....sorry.

About teeth: my brother has a lot of tooth issues....all the more reason to think he's a Celiac. I don't have serious problems with wearing enamel and my teeth are aligned quite nicely, but I have had multiple cavities....(is that just bad brushing? ) But my brother....he's always had tooth thingys coming up....don't know what specificially, but......blood and biopsy said no Celiac, I think he has it, anyway.......

-celiac3270

[kalo]

Jaw pain could mean TMJ and any GOOD chiropractor should be able to adjust it so the pain goes away.