Tooth Enamel Defects

[mama2two]

I've read that people with celaic disease can have tooth enamel defects, but I think this was in permanent teeth. my daughter had cavities a few months after her two front teeth came out, by six months after they errupted we were getting crowns on them, she was seventeen months old, it was a traumatic experience for all ! Has anyone else had this issue with their children with celiac dx? She also often got mouth ulcers, was this a problem for any of your kids?

[chrissy]

my daughter just had to have a ton of dental work done in january. they had to do work on 12 of her teeth, six of them required stainless steel crowns. the dentist said that she has some enamel hypoplasia. this was just a few months after her 3rd birthday. so far, she tests negative for celiac. she was failure to thrive for the first 2 years of her life and they tell me this could possibly be the cause of the enamel problem. since 3 of our other kids have celiac, we will keep an eye on things and test her periodically. does your child have a celiac diagnosis already?

[lonewolf]

I don't have a Celiac diagnosis, but I'm definitely intolerant to gluten for whatever reason. I had horrible dental enamel problems when I was little. I had 12 cavities at one time and always had at least 3-4 every visit. My mom didn't allow me to drink much pop or eat much candy and I brushed my teeth exceptionally well. The dentist said it wasn't my fault, but it was still traumatic. (I still almost panic when I hear a sound like the dentist drill.)

I continued to get cavities until I was around 30 and then it all stopped. Haven't had even one since going wheat-free (almost gluten free), dairy, egg and soy-free. But maybe that's just a coincidence.

Make sure your dentist gets sealants on your daughter's teeth ASAP. Even if your insurance won't pay for them it's worth it.

[tarnalberry]

the tooth enamel defects related to celiac disease actually often start in childhood because the enamel can't form properly without the minerals which are not getting absorbed by the damaged digestive tract.

[mama2two]

my daughter just had to have a ton of dental work done in january. they had to do work on 12 of her teeth, six of them required stainless steel crowns. the dentist said that she has some enamel hypoplasia. this was just a few months after her 3rd birthday. so far, she tests negative for celiac. she was failure to thrive for the first 2 years of her life and they tell me this could possibly be the cause of the enamel problem. since 3 of our other kids have celiac, we will keep an eye on things and test her periodically. does your child have a celiac diagnosis already?

she does not, we did some testing but was inconclusive, so pedi suggested to try the diet and so far it has helped. it's so frustrating to not have the answers and I'm leary of any further testing because it's truamatic, costly and from what I've read often not reliable

[chrissy]

ok, i will probably sound a little insensitive here----but testing, which usually involves a blood draw is no more traumatic than getting immunizations. heck, my kids have thrown worse fits about having a bath or getting their hair washed. i think it is mom and dad that get more traumatized. when my baby was in the hospital, it was my husband who couldn't handle her screaming for the needle pokes----i held her while they did some of them. some things just have to be done, and as parents, we have to be tough to help our kids not be afraid. that being said, i have been avoiding having sylvia tested again. almost every time she sees the hospital in town she says, "i don't want to be hurt."

sometimes kids (and adults) can have dental problems because of the type of bacteria that they have in their mouth. there is a product called spry that can help to keep the right kind of bacteria in your mouth. i have spry drops that i brush sylvia's teeth with almost every day. we got them from our orthodontist. sylvia does not appear to be getting any further damage to her teeth at this time. she was put under anesthesia when she had her teeth done because she had to have so much work done and the dentist told me that he had put sealants on her teeth. i imagine that it is the sealants and the spry that are keeping her teeth healthy now.