Tooth is falling apart

mamerth

New member
I chipped a tooth a while ago (on a fork) .... part of the side came off. Tonight while eating out with friends my tooth crumbled (a large part of it fell off). I obviously swallowed the tooth part without noticing it. When we got home my husband looked at the tooth. A large portion of my tooth is missing and I HAVE A CAVITY.
I wasn't eating anything hard to break off the tooth. Is this an calcium issue?? Yikes!!!
I am going in next week to clinic... Should I get my calcium levels checked???
 

Hardak

New member
Could be, keep in mind IV antibiotics are well known to mess up your teeth, I've got one that lost all its fillings two antibiotic usages ago and haven't had the money to repair it.
 

JustDucky

New member
Sadly, that has happened to me as well. My dentist believes that heavy antibiotic use is the major cause. I have been known to crack my teeth on a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich! You need to see a dentist (I should talk, I put it off for as long as possible because I hate going to the dentist even more than having multiple medical procedures lol) so that he or she can either pull it or fill it to prevent further decay.
I hope everything goes okay with you

Jenn 40 wCF
 

mamerth

New member
I am ashamed to admit it has been too long since I went to a dentist. Up until now I have had perfect teeth.

I am hoping to get an appointment next week. The only problem is I keep catching my tongue on the jagged tooth.

I am just hoping I won't need something major done. I am not in any pain.... it just feels bizarre.

I will let the dentist know about the IV use. I want to get my teeth whitened... if I can afford it.
 

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
I recently was remarking to my dentist that I think my teeth came in with cavities. What I was saying is I don’t have a tooth in my head that is all mine. For a time, my prognosis was living no more than a couple more years. As a result, fillings, not intending to be a long term solution were done where normally I would have a crown. Diagnosed at 15 probably means vitamin deficiency resulting in early osteoporosis, to one degree or another. CF can nail the teeth via malnutrition, a ready output of pathogens holed up in your lungs, but mostly the real cavity fighter, your amylase loaded saliva, may, like mine, under produce amylase. Sooo, what to do? Time after time, my dentist harps on a mouth wash called ACT, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Restoring mouthwash. I rinse with ACT at least four times daily, more sometimes.
Since you just crumbled a tooth, it sounds like a dental visit is in your near future. Ask about their prescription toothpastes. Again the biggy will be twice the fluoride levels of over the counter toothpaste. If Aquadek or the like is not part of your vitamin regiment, it might be good to talk with your best doctor about halting and possibly reversing bone calcium. For the rest of your body, once you have addressed supplements or whatever you agree is the best course to bring your bone calcium, and a general panacea for CF, walk. Walk, walk, walk.
As a side note, my dentist told me of his worst patient. He looked at every possible cause for his cavity of the month status and finally learned how his patient consumed his daily Coke. It turns out, he wasn’t just downing a Coke with lunch. He would open a Coke on his way to work and nurse it throughout the day. This meant every 20 minutes, he might take a sip, resulting in a constant wash of sugar and other contributors to tooth health from a carbonated, acidic, caffeinated beverage. Noting that even though he was no fan of soft drinks, if it were consumed at one time, mixed with a meal, the effects were gone within 20 minutes of the first sip. He mentioned this somewhat describing a period when I was taking a medicine through a sugary lollipop. The lollipop lasted long enough that my next lollipop wasn’t far away in time. You don’t have to have low amylase levels in your saliva if your sugar tending habits are bad.
 

LouLou

New member
Whitening your teeth may be a waste as if you are like many cfers you may have very little enamel left and the reason your teeth may be discolored is because the dentin is showing through which has a yellowy color to it. Also, whitening can increase sensitivity. The great thing about going to the dentist is that through Xray they can find those cavities before you lose the whole tooth like you did with the one. Make your appointment!
 

mamerth

New member
Yeah I was afraid whitening would be a waste... oh just for a little while to have pretty teeth. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0">

I am going to make that appointment.... their office was closed on Friday. Grumble....

I don't touch sugar. I don't touch pop. I drink water and juice. I brush my teeth faithfully. I even had my molars filled sealed since there are so deep. Maybe the sealant has wore off and it is time to do it again.

No early osteoporosis. My bone density tests the last time came out amazing. My calcium levels were good my last blood test. I am wondering if things might have changed. Like I said earlier I go to clinic this coming week so I will have all of this checked out.... maybe things have changed.

Little Lab, even though I was diagnosed at 15, I was amazingly not largely vitamin deficient at diagnosis.

My antibiotic usage has gone up so I am guess this may be part of the issue. I can't complain too much being that I have must first cavity at 39.
 

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
Ya Think??? I was still precognitive when my primary teeth started develping painful cavities, so I am told, but my numerous silver fillings in baby teeth didn't bode well for my permanent teeth. One dentist was so frustrated by my rotten teeth, after several fillings ultimately didn't have anything to be held in, he decided to pull them. My local anesthesia had long worn off, for whatever reason, he ignored my pain, grabbed a non-dental fence tool that grabbed several molars and started rocking and pulling. Then what purchase he had on my teeth crushed, sending the dentist into a ballistic rage and came back at me as though he were an entranced exorcist the the devel was below my gum line. Clamping the two shrarp edges directly on my gums, now with exposed, cracked and shattered roots, I bit him. He rushed off to the hospital and his nurse came in with a rescue kit. She gave me some IV shot of pain killer, flushed my mouth until she could evaluate the damage, and either on her own initiative or by doctors orders, another dentist came in to more expertly extract the shattered and cracked roots, stitched over my gums where my teeth had been, and left.

Whitening is hard on the teeth. I have been told by both pediatric and adult dentists if I want white pearly teeth, get them all crowned. Unless you are or have a sugar daddy, this is expensive. I hide my teeth behind a mustache. Game over. It would be really great if somebody did have a product or procedure to correctively restore that beautiful white enamel. I run through several search engines frequently to see if somebody actually has a solution. To that end, I recommend the regiment of fluoride etc. described in my prior post. I guess whoever said they could identify a CFer a block away can add grey glass teeth to the thin arms, hump stooped back and deceptively young appearance. I like that last one, I still get picked off as being in my late thirties, early forties, until I open my mouth and seem to force out each word.

It can be a rude surprise, having a tooth crumble in your mouth. And it is so soft, you chew and swallow it. The kicker of being diagnosed at 15, for me 51, is what damage was done in the years your vitamins and minerals were so important to the healthy growth. at 39, my osteoporosis was well beneath a level of concern. My last full body bone density was summed up when my GP said I was great, assuming I were 102 years old. This is a siren to proactively, aggressivly and don't be afraid to dump a doctor or dentist who doesn't answer your questions and address your isssues to your satisfaction. I put the bar very high when it comes to vetting, and ultimately choosing a practitioner.

Something you mentioned is good practice for any CFer who wants to maintain thier pearly's. No insurance I know covers this but having your teeth sealed, or possibly re-sealed will help maintain those who still have good looking teeth and potentially prevent tooth loss and cavities.
 

krisgabes

New member
How ironic that this post came up. I did the same thing to my back wisdom tooth a few weeks ago. I'm terrified of the dentist but lately the area is super sensitive to cold and getting on my nerves so I think I'm going to have to go see a dentist soon.
 

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
krisgabes: Did you mean to say you are terrified of dentists, or terrified of your dentist. All dentists are not equal. I have seen more differences between dentists as far as their practice, patient relations etc than medical doctors, especially in specialists. Find a dentist that allays your fears. With CF, a dentist is as important as any medical specialist. Silly as this sounds, Sensodine or other pain limiting toothpaste will lower your sensitivity in general, and your dental visit in particular
 

anGEl34

New member
Use products contain abrasives, cleaners, and foaming organizations. Fluoride, the most typical factor in mouth wash, is what stops oral cavaties. So you should always be sure your mouth wash contains fluoride.
 

mamerth

New member
I am home from the dentist. I had a deep, deep cavity. It was almost to the nerve. Yikes!! He found 2 more cavities as he was poking around. I have to get the second one fixed and filled in a month and the third one after that sometime. The third one is just starting to form.

I still haven't gotten my teeth cleaned yet. I am hoping it gets around to that soon. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> We have to stop finding more cavities. The dentist said he wants to look more closely to my x-rays between now and my next appointment. GREAT!!!

The good news is... I have no wisdom teeth. Never got them. I am even missing a 12 year molar.

Still don't know the reason why the cavities are popping up all of sudden. The dentist didn't say if it was the meds, the diabetes or anything else.

Thanks to an Advil my pain is done for now.
 
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