Who hates the dentist??? Well I would be the first one with my hands firmly in the air! I cannot stand going to the dentist, it's worse than going to the hospital and we all know how nasty an experience that can be. There is something about the smell, the noises and the waiting rooms at dental practices' that create fear...at least they do in me. Then there is the simple fact that I am terrified of injections in my mouth. I am fine with injections anywhere else and let's face it, with the amount of blood tests etc we are all pretty used to needles. But in my mouth...NO NO NO.
There is one small problem though, Lupus and other connective tissue diseases can cause more dental problems and leave us having to go far more often than we ever wanted too. I used to think I just had really weak teeth, this was my reasoning anyway. Every time I went to the dentist I would need a filling or even an extraction and I could not understand why. That was until I was diagnosed.
It was a strange situation. I was in the room being poked, prodded and having endless blood tests. My specialist was asking me questions about my joints, my muscles, aches, pains and rashes. All perfectly understandable, but then she asked about my teeth.......WHY? I answered that I have had numerous dental problems over the years and she wrote down a lengthy note on my chart......that I couldn't see of course. When she said that she believed I had SLE and Sjogren's syndrome and listed why she believed I had them, one of the points was my terrible teeth.
There are many reasons why those of us who are fighters against the disease suffer from dental issues. There is gum swelling, lack of saliva production, bone loss and bleeding gums.... the list really does go on and on. On top of that you have the long term use of certain medications such as steroids that can cause dental problems all of their own....so what on earth can we do?
I am not saying we can all keep our teeth perfectly sparkling...I know mine aren't and I am not ashamed of my smile any more, it's another part of my fight, but there are a few things that you can do. Here are some top tips I have found that are working for me!
Always opt for sensitive tooth paste.
I have a really problem with dental decay due to a lack of saliva production. If I wasn't careful with my teeth I am pretty sure I wouldn't have any left. Part of what keeps my mouth healthy is using specially formulated sensitive toothpaste, with enamel protection. Sensodyne is a good brand if you can get it, if not ask your dentist for the right toothpaste for your dental issues. It will help to combat decay, pain, enamel loss and keep your teeth white.
Mouth ulcer treatment
The dreaded lupus mouth ulcers. I have a few at the moment caused by stress....luckily they are on their way out now that I am settled into a routine. However, I know they will come back and when they do they will need treating. There are many over the counter things you can use for ulcers, gels, rubs and mouthwashes. I prefer the latter as I use one daily anyway. Corsodyl is the best that I have found so far. It is very strong though, so I would advise you ask your dentist or specialist before you start to use this. I have found that it helps take away the pain from the ulcers and make it easier to eat and drink.
Avoiding foods that are overly salty and sugary foods
Goes without saying really doesn't it! Sugar and teeth don't really mix well in the first place, but there is even more reason to avoid them when you have lupus or similar. Not only can we already have damaged tooth enamel (or we could do in the future thanks to the medications) but eating certain foods is only going to exacerbate this. I tend to avoid anything that can cause excess acid or sugar....red wine, sweets and crisps are my favourites, but they have to be limited. When I do indulge in these I wait an hour and then brush my teeth gently to remove anything that is left.
