Gum disease and loose teeth

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi all,

Just wondering if any other RA sufferers are affected in this way and what you do to take away the pain and discomfort?

I'm in a dreadful state at the moment, gums all inflamed, 3 loose teeth. Taking Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Bonjela.

Thanks in advance 

2

Hi Goggi,

I also have RA for about 15 years now and my gums are also inflamed , I dont have any loose teeth but I just had my dental cleanning and my Dr told me my gums are very inflamed they bleed with the cleanning and a couple of my roots are exposed.

He wants to bond the roots to prevent them from getting loose and to protect them (I believe the bonding is when he covers the roots with material and it looks exactly like your toothe.

he said to brush with a mechanical tooth brush and floss ,i dont know if at this point you can do that but I have been rinsing with salty warm water a few times a day because that brings down inflamation ,also rinse after every brush and specially before going to bed. the salty water seems to help a lot but you have to do it a lot, I keep a glass of it in my bathroom and every time I get a chance I go and take a little bit and I try to keep it on my mouth for as long as possible. I also bought a water pik and I love it ,its gentle ,  after a few days of using it my gums stopped bleeding when I brush. I add some mouth rinse to the water pick tank with the water to make it more effective. but try the salty water , warm (not hot) if you can. good Luck , let us know how you're doing!!

3

Thanks so much for that info, Downey girl. I'll certainly try those measures tomorrow.I'm at the stage where I'm strongly thinking of asking the dentist to pull what is left of my teeth and be done with it!

4

I know is very frustrating but try not to let your self down. Talk to your dentist and ask him what can you do to save your teeth.  I'm not a Dr so always consult with him.

5

Some of the RA medications may cause gum disease, mouth ulcers, etc, so your dental problem may be linked to the medications rather than the RA.   It may be work exploring that avenue.

6

Hi Tony, thanks for replying. I actually stopped taking methotrexate about 3 weeks ago and things did improve but now my gums are quite badly inflamed again. I'm trying the salt water mouth rinses as suggested by Downey girl and I'll see how that goes.

It does appear that there is a connection between RA and gum disease so I guess I fall into that category.

Thanks again 

7

I'm wondering if we need to tell the dentist that we have RA and are on medication?

8

Absolutely. He's not passing much remarks though, Guess it is hard for them to keep up to date with all the latest research on every single condition. He did mention referring me for deep cleaning which would cost thousands but didn't hold out much hope of saving what is left of my teeth.

9

I don't hv gum inflammation but I do find my teeth are more sensitive now. Ever since i was diagnosed with RA I don't vidut the dentist anymore 😣. I try my best to take good care of my mouth hygiene . Hope the salt water helps you .

10

Thanks Sia, I don't like going either but I make the effort every couple of years! I always load up on Ibuprofen and Paracetamol before I go in and ask for plenty of local anaesthetic prior to the procedure. It costs an arm and a leg but it is worth it. Would you consider doing the same? Thanks for your support.

11

Thanks Downey girl. Feel a little better today, have an appt with him Fri pm so I'll see if he can help in any way  

12

Hi goggi

I too have had problems with gum desease at the beginning of

my RA .

I had always regularly visited the dentist without so much as a

filling.

Then when going on MTX I caught gum desease, and despite

having regular hygiene visits. The bones in my jaw started to

crumble and the dentist had to start extracting teeth as they

were so Loose over the following 55 years I had nearly had half of my teeth removed over upper and lower jaws.

At a subsequent visit to the dentist said she would have to

remove 3 more at that point I decided to have them all removed

I was getting sick of the constant pain partial dentures not to

mention the expence

It's a difficult decision but I fought tooth and nail ( pardon the

pun) to keep them so give yourself a fighting chance.

13

Thanks for posting Jayjay, I really do want to keep what are left of my teeth, it is just sometimes they are so painful I start to think about getting them extracted 😕

I was told many years ago that I had severe periodontal disease, at that time I hadn't being diagnosed with RA. However, looking back on it now I have been suffering with backache, leg pains, foot trouble, wrist soreness etc since at least my teenage years. I was only officially diagnosed in 2010 and I'm now mid 50s. To be honest I find each day a struggle. Just as I get on top of one issue another arises. There's no doubt but that this condition is very testing both physically and mentally.

Guess all we can do is the best we can under these circumstances.

Thanks again.

14

One battle at a time and the Medication that we're given has their own challenges