Did you know that the dry mouth associated with fibromyalgia can cause dental issues? Dry mouth can be a side effect of some of the medications we take. The saliva in your mouth helps to neutralize sugars and acids that can attack teeth and gums. Without the proper amount of saliva, we are more prone to tooth decay and periodontal disease. I personally have had some dental issues, and have had cavities, teeth pulled, and crowns inserted.
I think it’s so important to brush and floss daily to keep our gums and teeth as healthy as possible. I actually keep floss on my night table and floss a couple of times a day. I didn’t always do that, and as a result my gums were becoming unhealthy.
Teeth grinding is another issue frequently experienced by those of us with FM. For this reason, I had my dentist make me a mouth guard, which I’m embarrassed to say I don’t wear every night. Grinding wears down tooth enamel, can cause teeth to break, and exacerbates the pain of TMJ.
Of course, going to the dentist presents its own set of problems. My dental hygienist is amazing. She knows that I have FM, and takes extra precautions when I go in. She places a foam pillow behind my neck, and under the small of my back to keep me as comfortable as possible. My dentist is also great at administering Novocain, and the needle site barely bothers me when the numbness wears off. If my mouth has to be open for 30 minutes or longer, he’ll massage my jaw when he’s done. The two really work to make my experience as comfortable as possible.
Be aware that having your teeth cleaned or worked on can bring on a flare. You can take medications prior to, or immediately after, a dental examination or procedure to hopefully keep a flare to a minimum.
Taking care of our teeth is particularly important for those of us suffering from fibromyalgia. To counter dry mouth, one thing I use is MighTeaFlow Natural Dry Mouth Lozenges. They were recommended to me by a fellow FM warrior and they work well.
How is your oral health?
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Note: Fibromyalgia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Fibromyalgia News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to fibromyalgia.
I’ve found two things to help with dry mouth and also sensitive teeth. Biotene works well for me for dry mouth; I use it while swimming and it’s a definite must at night! (I use the spray.) I also use Sensodyne toothpaste, as my tooth enamel was eroding due to lozenges I was previously using to combat dry mouth. And I take diazepam (valium) prior to any dental work. It also helps to mentally project myself onto a tropical beach while the drill is going!
Denise, I love the idea of projecting myself onto a tropical beach…will try that next time! You always have such great ideas ?
Thanks again Robin for an informative article. I have just recently started having dental problems which the dentists try to blame on all other things but research did indicate the dry mouth can be to blame and I have told them that. Right before New Years I developed a gum and tooth infection which was extremely painful. Ended up having to have the molar pulled, a skin graft and now an implant. A few weeks later I cracked the molar on the other side and had to have a crown. I think I now have developed TMJ and am not happy about that either plus I do find myself grinding my teeth. Will talk to the dentist about a guard. At 65 I feel too dang old to spend all this money and time on my mouth but I need these teeth!.
Pamela, I understand all too well. I’m 61 and in the past 2 years have had 2 molars pulled and 2 crowns, not to mention fillings. ?
In December I had dental Orkney done. Mild flare up. Two teeth out in January. Much bigger flare up. Most of February recovering. March dental repair done. April spent recovering from huge flare. Two more teeth to be removed soon. Here we go again.
Truly I am grateful to the governments low income dental system. Can’t argue with free.
The staff are great. Dentists assistants and technicians great. Beautiful work.
For emergency treatment ( anything unbearable) you get to see a Dentist within a day or so. If possible that day depending on severity.
All this is wonderful unless you have fm or something along these lines. It means that the pain that you get wiht flare can go on for months.
Linda, sad but true ?
Dental issues are such a pain…quite literally. Definitely some of the worst pain I’ve encountered, and I’ve had 5 children!
I’d like to suggest, for anyone that suffers with TMJ or other pain associated with teeth grinding, trying a mouthguard at night, and maybe even the day too depending on your circumstances. Ora-Guard is a great option if anyone is looking for a good one to try. (You can check it out here: https://goo.gl/5sqH4Z
I had two teeth pulled in March, which brought on an awful flare. It took a month to recover.Now I just had two more fillings, combined with other pain. It just isn’t pretty sometimes.But we have to take care of our teeth. Thanks for the article
I agree Vee, we do need to take care of our teeth.
Thank you so much for this article. I have broken three teeth in the last 2 years eating popcorn , and I get dry mouth all the time. I didn’t know it was caused from my fibro! I also grind my teeth a , while I sleep I’m sure because my jaw hurts so much every morning and I catch myself doing it during the also. My jaw feels tight and hurts a lot of the time. I should see my dentist about a mouth guard for sure. losing those three teeth did a job on my self-esteem because it’s my teeth right behind my eye teeth since I’d already lost my back teeth from decay from my inhaler for my asthma. I didn’t know I was supposed to rinse my mouth with water after using it I never read the directions I guess and the dentist or doctors have never told me so I didn’t even know . So because I didn’t have those big chewing teeth, I was using the teeth I broke to chew with which you’re not supposed to, but now those teeth are gone also.I don’t like it very much I’m trying not to eat really hard foods like candy and things like that because I don’t want to break my front teeth. I did manage to save enough money to buy one bridge for one side and I need to save some money to get the other side done because I don’t like how it shows when I smile. I try to take good care of them but I broke my teeth eating popcorn. I crave popcorn sometimes but I’m too scared to eat it now. thanks again for the article and all the comments from the other ladies. Very informative thank you all
Linda, dry mouth can really wreak havoc on our teeth. I know it has on mine