2 Questions re: Calcium Injections and Tooth decay

I talked to my dentist about calcium absorption and tooth decay, and he indicated that you don't put down much new calcium in teeth at "my age".  Either it was there from my growth years, or not.  He did say any nutritional issues may show up in your gums, and to be very careful about that. 

Stomach acid would only be an issue if you had reflux that gets back to your teeth.  I've been on Nexium or equivalent drugs at very high doses for years, and no problems with my teeth.  To control reflux at night, I have my bed elevated.  DH took it down a couple of months after surgery, but I've had a couple of bouts of reflux recently, so we put the lifts back in the head of the bed.

I've never heard about calcium injections for increasing bone/tooth density.  It is my understanding that the calcium level in the blood is very tightly controlled by our body, and if it drops, then calcium will be taken from the bones.  Gina has mentioned some other therapies  for increasing bone density in earlier posts but those are not calcium injections either.

During the fall of 2011 I was unable to take a few of my supplements including calcium because I was going in for kidney stone surgery and my urologist wouldnt let me take anything other than  B vitamins.  So, I went 2 months without my calcium.  At first we thought it was only going to be 2 weeks but it ended up being 2 months because I ended up having 2 surgeries over 2 months.  Since then,  I have had repeated bladder infections and been on numerous antibiotics.  Some antibiotics for bladder infections make taking our supplements very difficult - mainly cipro and levaquin. Being I am allergic to most antibiotics, my uroloigist gives me cipro quite often and this has been the case over the past 6 months.

It is almost impossible to take cipro 2 times per day, synthroid and cytomel once per day (both thyroid medications), iron once per day, calcium 3-4 times per day, magnesium 3 times per day  and a multi twice per day when you can't take iron, calcium or thyroid medications within 2 - 4 hours of each other and cipro cant be taken within 6 hours of any calcium, magnesium  or iron problems.  I would need atleast 48 - 72 hours in one day to fit it all in.  It is nuts. 

So in turn, I had to get in the antibiotic and thyroid medications - so I missed my calcium alot.  I took my iron most of the time.  But from missing my calcium so much over a period of time - my calcium level got pretty low - 8.9 and I also got 1 pretty bad cavity in one bottom tooth.  It also happened pretty quickly.  Lack of calcicum can cause cavities and quickly.  You can get an idea by having a PTH level - I know in a short period time mine went from 22 to 120 and it has gone back down to 80, so it is going back down but lack of calcium is very serious and really bad for your teeth and really bad on your bones too.  I am really afraid to have my DEXA scan in September since I had been diagnosed with Osteopenia last September and am going to have it done again to see if it has gotten any worse in a year which I am sure it has. I have alot of risk factors - including a horrible family history for osteoporosis at an early age.

I can tell you that severe acid reflux can also cause cavities as well.  Many years ago, long before my gastric bypass I had terrible reflux so bad that I needed surgery to correct the reflux but in the meantime I lost almost all my top teeth due to all the acid I was vomitting all day long.  Acid is horrible on teeth.  If you have any reflux, it can damage your teeth.  Acid can come up while you are sleeping and you dont even know it which is why you should be sleeping with your head elevated - either using 2 pillows or putting a pillowor 2  under your mattress to lift  the mattress up.  Some people put a wedge under there pillows to slant there body up or others use an electric bed to lift the head up  = that is what I used to use - I still have one.  To me, that works the best since you can adjust it.

Taking nexium or any of the PPI's is essential if you have reflux or even the mildest of heartburn.  You dont want any acid causing problems - it can cause the desutruction of your teeth and it can also cause  ulcers, problems with your esophagus - long term exposure of acid to your esophagus is very dangerous.  Yes, they there is research that long use of PPI's reduces the absorbtion of your calcium but you can always take more calcium but excess acid is more dangerous.  Dont stop the Nexium if you need it.  Sleeve patients tend to have more reflux than other surgery types.

 I have never heard of calcium injections either.  I would ask your dentist what he is talking about or talk to an endocrinologist since they are the doctors that specialize in calcium disorders - they would know.

 just saw your post & wondered if anyone mentioned we do find that we lose weight a little in our gums too after the DS and many have commented their gums had receded a little over this.  I had the same thing happen and a couple small cavities were starting to form along that space that were noticed when they were cleaning my teeth. They asked me tho if I had been sucking on hard candy which I hadn't. Everyone seems to have a theory. It could be from many things . .