Teeth, Enamel, And Celiac

[sansglutengrl]

I need some help relating celiac and my endless teeth issues.

I just got my teeth cleaned and the hygenist told me that my enamel looks like I am bulimic. I am not, nor have I ever been bulimic. In fact, I haven't even thrown up that much in my life in general.

I brush my teeth like crazy, I floss, I rinse with "ACT" fluoride every night, and my teeth are just terrible. I'm sick of explaining myself to dentists, this is the third dentist's office that I've been to in the last year.

I want to get on top of this and instead of being humiliated, actually get a grip on what is going on with my teeth so I can take care of them. Can you help me? Has anyone had similar issues? Are there any studies available?

UGH.

Thanks all!

[ShayFL]

Are you gluten free? How long? Do you take calcium/magnesium/boron/Vit D to rebuild your bone/teeth???

[sansglutengrl]

I've been gluten free for just two years, and I know this is terrible but I don't take any vitamins currently. I've never been checked for any deficiencies (unless these would come out in your normal blood work??). What should I be taking?

[ShayFL]

Tests help....but there are some general guidelines you can follow. Depending on your age.....It is safe to be taking 1000-1200 mg calcium and you can take magnesium in a ratio of either 2:1 or 1:1 calcium. So you could take 500 - 600 mg magesium. Vitamin D is safe up to 2000 IU daily and some say more. If you live in the tropics and get A LOT of sun everyday, you might not need this much. But if you are up north and dont go out much and wear sunscreen when you do....at least the 2000 IU. Boron is only needed in a tiny amount.

Some fish oils can give you this Vitamin D. And supply Omega 3's for you as well. But be careful not to overdose on vitmamin A in the fish oil. Get some D from the oil and some from a multi. You want D3 NOT D2.

Silica is also very good for rebuilding. You might be able to find a combination supplement at the health food store. You will want a good balanced multi-vit-min as well. I take vitamins made by Dr. Marina Johnson, but there are many fine Gluten Free supplements.

Hopefully others will chime in too.

And resistance exercises is good for your bones. This is a must!!

[Mariela]

I need some help relating celiac and my endless teeth issues.

I just got my teeth cleaned and the hygenist told me that my enamel looks like I am bulimic. I am not, nor have I ever been bulimic. In fact, I haven't even thrown up that much in my life in general.

I brush my teeth like crazy, I floss, I rinse with "ACT" fluoride every night, and my teeth are just terrible. I'm sick of explaining myself to dentists, this is the third dentist's office that I've been to in the last year.

I want to get on top of this and instead of being humiliated, actually get a grip on what is going on with my teeth so I can take care of them. Can you help me? Has anyone had similar issues? Are there any studies available?

UGH.

Thanks all!

Hi Sansglutengrl. I am 29 and I was diagnosed when I was 3 years old. All through my childhood and adolescence I cheated on the diet. Since I was 25 I stopped. I realized I had a weak teech enamel as a teenager. I have developed little dents on my front teeth and my canines, which would keep getting deeper as I ate gluten. They look like little "holes", it's horrible. Now that I am gluten-free, the enamel has not "filled" itself but it has not getting any worse. I have been confirmed that they are not cavities at all, but my calcium levels and my teeth enamel were so low that affected my teeth.

Is it possible that you are eating something that has gluten, without you knowing it? You may not get any other symptom (I did not have any other symptom when I used to eat gluten). Check everything you eat, make sure you are not eating any gluten. It may take a little while, but you may get better. Best of luck!!

[ravenwoodglass]

I am going to suggest that you warm up your printer and google celiac and dental enamel defects. A great deal should come up. In other countries when a dentist sees our teeth they immediately suggest celiac, here we get lectures about taking proper care of them. Most dentist here are not cognizant of the damage that is done with celiac and even less realize that we need to be treated with gluten free products. I would deliver some printouts from medically oriented website like the NIH and Pubmed and hand them to him when I got my next lecture.

Heres are a couple to get you started -

from the University of Chicago Celiac Center

Open Original Shared Link

And from the NIH

Open Original Shared Link

Hope this helps

[sansglutengrl]

Thanks guys! Sorry I didn't respond sooner I was away and didn't have internet access for a couple of days. Ravenwoodglass, you are right - there is a ton of information about this on the web, I should have googled first.

It's soooo frustrating when our doctors aren't aware of things and won't listen. I'm switching dentists, but I think I'm going to send them some of this information first.

Mariela - that's enormously encouraging that this might stop. I don't think I've been getting glutened because my blood tests have been clean and I usually get really really bad gastro. issues, but I'll definitely keep an eye on it if my teeth don't start to get better.

Thanks!

[AndreaB]

The following is a post from Elaine Allen that was accidentally posted using the report button.

Have any one been to the dentist recently, had impression taken and within a few days, had their gums become red and swollen and very sore? I can not even floss as it hurts so much. I have ALWAYS taken excellent care of my teeth. (I am married to a dentist!)

I also just recently found out that my four lower front teeth need to be removed as they have become very loose. We know of no other reason other than I have taken Foxamas for yrs. and it is now showing up causing loose teeth and problems even with having extractions. I honestly have NO clue if this is all from the osteoporosis drugs or a combination of the Celic and the drugs. (I am 62 and just only diagnosed 15 months ago after finding out that I was anemia.

I would like to hear if I am the only one who is having gum problems. Besides all of this, the roof of my mouth just feels like the tissue is peeling off of it. (I have also lactose intolerance since being diagnosed. )

[elonwy]

Gonna add my story and my ARG! to this. It's pretty obvious that I've been having celiac symptoms most of my life, but only got diagnosed a few years ago. I had cavities and enamel problems early on, though I wasn't allowed to eat sugar as a kid and had great dental hygene. This was totally blamed on the fact that we were on catchment and so didn't have fluoridated water, and ignored. Then I got braces in my teens and things went from bad to worse. When my braces came off my teeth had decalcified and all my enamel came off with the braces. Took almost a year of going to the dentist every monday to get my teeth all fixed, and now every tooth in my mouth has been worked on (most are veneers). When they looked back at my xrays they realized that I should never have had braces put on in the first place because my enamel was so weak. AAAHHH!

So now I'm three years into gluten-free, just about, and my teeth are finally being somewhat normal. My density is still on the low side, but its the low side of normal, so thats good. I brush with a high fluoride toothpaste at night to help my enamel stay strong (the back of my teeth are still mine )

Have you told them you have calcium absorbtion issues? My dentist and hygenist have been very open to communicating with me about my needs being slightly different because of this.

[Kitt1027]

I can relate - and this is just an added symptom to make me believe I have Celiac. I have not yet been diagnosed, but having blood tests Wedesday.

About 3 years ago, I went to the dentist because I was having alot of tooth pain and I thought I may have cavities. I don't eat alot of sugar either, and never have. Anyway, at this point, I was about 20 yrs old. The dentist told me that I had worn through about 2-3 layers of enamel. I have to add that I have had a major problem with grinding my teeth since I was a child.

When my permanent teeth grew in when I was a kid, we noticed that I have a white patch on both of my front-top teeth. I was told back then that it must have been from a childhood illness...My mother and I do not remember me having any kind of childhood illness when my teeth were growing in. But, we just figured he was right and moved on.

I seriously cannot wait to get my blood tests back. And if an added bonus of going gluten-free is that I can stop losing enamel so quickly and maybe stop grinding--well it is soooo worth it. Any comments or thoughts?

[Generic]

I was diagnosed 20 years ago, been gluten free except for accidents since. Just toady I had impressions taken today to get top dentures and partial lower dentures. My teeth continue to crumble. I used flouride everyday until my late teens. The dentist seems to think that when my adult teeth were still forming I was in full blown autoimmune atttacks from the Celiac. I wasn't absorbing much of anything. So yes it ruins your teeth.

[janc]

I'm so frustrated. I just went and got impressions for dentures and asked if the materials were gluten free. At first they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Then dentist came in and said 'oh ya all gluten free and you aren't eating it anyway and if you were going to react you would of already and we have an epi-pen" and then said he knew all about celiac and all.

BS. For one thing you don't have to eat it, just having gluten in your mouth is not good, even lipsticks or licking postage stamp. I even watch lotions and skin care products.

Secondly, a reaction takes longer than a couple minutes. I usually feel it 12-24 hours later.

Thirdly, I've never heard of using an epi-pen.

He said he knows all about celiac and been dealing with people for 30 years.

I was so frustrated I wanted to walk out. Then I thought, well maybe he's just so used to reassuring people who are scared (like me).

I have been gluten free for 9 years and will deal with a reaction if i have to. I just wanted to know if I should expect one.

Sorry for venting. Thanks for listening.

[kareng]

The time to ask about the gluten free status of things at the dentist is a few weeks before the appointment. The person to ask is one of the assistants. They will call or email to company of the product.

The only things I have heard of with gluten at the dentist office is the Crest Pro Health rinse and some of the stuff they use for impressions. I hope yours used the other kind....

[Gemini]

The time to ask about the gluten free status of things at the dentist is a few weeks before the appointment. The person to ask is one of the assistants. They will call or email to company of the product.

The only things I have heard of with gluten at the dentist office is the Crest Pro Health rinse and some of the stuff they use for impressions. I hope yours used the other kind....

The stuff they use for impressions is gluten free. I should know, I am the queen of dental work and had many, many impressions done. I called many companies and what they do use in these preparations are gums....xanthan gum most usually. A person can have reactions from too big a hit with gums.

I did. So if you are sensitive to xanthan or guar gum, it might be a problem but I never ever found any impression material which contained gluten.

[ravenwoodglass]

The stuff they use for impressions is gluten free. I should know, I am the queen of dental work and had many, many impressions done. I called many companies and what they do use in these preparations are gums....xanthan gum most usually. A person can have reactions from too big a hit with gums.

I did. So if you are sensitive to xanthan or guar gum, it might be a problem but I never ever found any impression material which contained gluten.

My dentist ordered a different impression material than they usually used for me because the other stuff was questionable. They also wouldn't use anything other than plain pumice to clean my teeth. I do think most of the stuff that they use is safe but there are exceptions and IMHO it is better to be safe and check than assume everything is ok.