Question:
LONG TERM POST OPS-ANSWERS ON BAD TEETH!
This is the latest update in my teeth going to pot since surgery in November 2001. My surgeon did some research, talked to collegues as well as the American Bariatric Surgeons group (don't know the exact name sorry!). Anyway, there have been studies done and YES we do tend to have a LOT of dental problems a year or more post op. Even those of us who never had a problem before. Here is what the research says so far.......... 1. The high amount of protein in our diet plays a crucial role. The proteins mix with the saliva in our mouth and lead to break down of the enamel and surface area of the teeth. So if we don't IMMEDIATELY brush our teeth after each meal the proteins attack our teeth. Since our main food group is protein we are especially prone to this. 2. We are a bottled water society. Most of us heard that we needed to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day but didn't do so until post op. Well if you are like me I grab water in a bottle. Bottled water lacks the flouride that is found in tap water. This also allows our teeth to get thin and brittle. Combine #' 1 and 2 and we are at risk for some serious teeth problems. These are just the initial findings and there are most likely many more studies to be done. I thought you guys might want to know where the thinking is currently in the field of Bariatrics. Unfortunately, we are and will continue to be at risk for the rest of our lives for poor oral health. Again, I must say it is a small price to pay for my life. Guess I will be toting a toothbrush everywhere I go and drinking from the tap more! AMY — purdue_1993 (posted on March 20, 2003)
March 20, 2003
Maybe we should all be taking a flouride supplement, in addition to all the
other ones we have to take. I have well water, so it doesn't have the added
flouride like city water. Hmmm... I'm going to ask my dentist about a
prescription!
— Diana L.
March 20, 2003
I am pre-op, but I had crowns put on my two front teeth, and I told my
dentist that I was going to have WLS, and he was so glad that I told him,
he said to ask the surgeon to give me a script for floride treatments, that
studies have shown that people that have had WLS do alot of throwing up and
also has to do with vits and mins. He said that the teeth is not something
that most surgeons think about, so ask, he also told me if the surgeon did
not give the prescription to call him and he would, that is was so
important to start to floride your teeth from the start on your new life.
Hope this helps
— cindy
March 20, 2003
i can't thank you enough, Amy, for this information. I will print it out
and take it to my dentist so we can be ready when I do have WLS. I have
nearly perfect teeth -- three cavities in my 50 years, no other work done
ever -- and I've always said these pearly whites are going to the grave
with me! Thanks to your effort, I can make my dream of taking all my teeth
with me a reality.
— Kasey
March 20, 2003
I would also like to point out that studies have shown that chewing Tums
(and similar) tablets for calcium can actually break down the enamel on
your teeth. (I'll see if I can find a link to one of the studies.) If
the enamel gets week your teeth are more subject to cavities and other
problems.
— Anne R.
March 20, 2003
How about using a flouride rinse? I have used Act flouride rinse for
years. It works great. I used Plax before brushing and Act at night after
brushing before bed.
— KelBurt
March 21, 2003
My dentist gave me a prescription fluoride gel called "Brush-On"
by "Perfect Choice" (distributed by Biotrol), which you brush on
your teeth before bedtime.
— Suzy C.
March 21, 2003
Thank you so much for the information. I am two weeks away from having my
surgery and it is great to have this information ahead of time.
— C. Zibrowski
March 21, 2003
I just talked to my deniest today. And he told me that act is very low in
fluride and that you can use it more then ounce a day (like it says on the
bottle). He also gave me perscrition for PreviDent 5000 plus.
— shannon M.
March 21, 2003
I hate to burst your bubble, but these "theories" are a bunch of
poo-poo. I was in the dental field for several years and I have 2 degrees
in the field of science with a major focus on dental studies (I was
pursuing a teaching career for dental sciences before I discovered my
passion for corporate America). To the first point: The etiology of
dental caries (cause of cavities) is simple..."sugar" causes an
acid attack that lasts for 20 minutes causing a weaking in the dental
enamel. Although this next piece doesn't pertain to many of us, it's still
worth mentioning...Grazing on sweets and carbs (we all know that carbs
breakdown as a sugar-type substance) causes these acid attacks to be
prolonged and therefore a greater rate of cavities is the result. After
several hundred years of studies, it is scientifically known that Protein
is the ONLY food that we eat that does NOT have the ability to cause acid
attacks. That is the reason why the our earliest ancestors had no history
of teeth problems. It wasn't until fruits and vegetables were introduced
into the human diet that tooth problems became prevalent. Ok, now for the
second point. Although the logic is right on, there are some gaps in that
theory as well. This is a huge issue for kids, but only a sporadic issue
for adults and only based on the point I made above. The greatest need for
fluoride is when the teeth are actually forming. It's the intrinsic
(inside) fluoride that helps keep teeth strong. If a child doesn't get
enough fluoride during the time that their teeth are developing then they
will be more susceptable to cavities. Although toothpaste contains
fluoride, it's not even close to being enough to nourish teeth. Fluoride
rinses are pretty much useless. However, the high concentration Fluoride
Gels (prescription only) can be helpful for people who have some weakening
of the enamel since enamel can regenerate (at a low-level, but it can).
This is usually good for people who have weak enamel, but has not developed
cavities yet. With all of this being said, I don't have an answer to the
WLS-Cavity Connection, other than the fact that as most people get older,
they get a bit lazier with their dental hygiene. Life gets busy and we
don't have the time to brush and floss as we should. Although brushing is
crucial, combining it with flossing is the key to success! One last note
is that dental health (or lack thereof) is also genetic. If you have a
parent that had teeth (or gum)problems despite great oral hygiene chances
are that you will too. With all of that being said, our surgeons and PCP's
are extremely knowledgeable in the area of medicine, but they are not
dental experts. Consult your dentist with these issues. This is all they
do and they will be the best people to advise you on your specific issues.
— pam29922
March 21, 2003
Pamela, what about the dry mouth issue. I constantly drink water, but when
I wake up my mouth is so dry. Can the lack of siliva allow for more decay.
Thanks for your informative post.
— faybay
March 22, 2003
Absolutely!! There are many reasons for chronuc dry mouth (Xerostome)
Medications (over 400 meds cause this!), Diabetes, chemo treatment, stress
and depression...just to make a few. The best things to do about this
(other than the obvious...drink water) is to watch caffeine intake and
DON'T use mouthwash!!! Many people that have this problem, use mouthwash
as a solution and although they may get a short instant boost of salivary
production, this will pass quickly because of the extremely high alcohol
content in most mouthwashes. As we all know, mostly from experiencing a
hangover once or twice in our lives, alcohol will lead to cotton mouth and
make you very dry. If you don't use alcohol, your not doing caffeine or
mouthwash and you are drinking enough water, you can ask your dentist about
a product called Biotene. This is a saliva stimulator and works very well.
At the very least, you can try sugarless hard candies or gum for some
simple relief. However, I hesistate to suggest this simply because we WLS
patients are not supposeto chew gum and some people, like me, have dumping
from sugarfree candies. In any event, there are options out there! Good
luck!
— pam29922
March 23, 2003
By the way, I typed my last response in the middle of night so I hope I am
off the hook for the typos! :-)
— pam29922
March 24, 2003
The reason our teeth get thin and brittle is much more likely to be because
we're not taking the right type of calcium!
If we're taking calcium carbonate; Tums, Viactiv, coral calcium, Caltrate,
OsCal, etc., we don't have enough stomach acide to digest the darned stuff,
so we don't get any benefit from it. Therefore, our bodies just merrily
cannabalize our bones and teeth to get the calcium they need to run
important functions like heart . . .
Calcium citrate is much more usable for WLS patients - help you keep your
teeth, bones, and hearts in better shape . . .
:o)
— RWH G.
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