Surgery day 3/16/15 and I have been reading about a lot of WLS patients who are having a problem with their teeth getting rotten after surgery. Just curious if anyone has had this happen

Really???? This is new to me. I would think people with good dental hygiene and regular dental visits would not have any more problems than non-WLS population.

I was reading on a gastric bypass facebook page and a lot of people were saing how their teeth were getting bad and how they had to get dentures

I have never heard of this one - either in research or reading the sleeve forums for years. Is there any research about this you can point to?

My guess would be that certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies could lead to tooth decay, just like if you were starving and malnourished. With proper supplementation and regular bloodwork to check for deficiencies, I would think you could identify a problem long before it got to that point, though.

Edited February 10, 201511 yr by JamieLogical

No, in fact my teeth are better than they have ever been. I think cutting out most dairy, grains, and refined sugar has probably been great for my teeth! I am not malnourished. I just had a check up with my dentist yesterday and he said my teeth look great

Rotten teeth was never mentioned to me as a potential side effect by anyone on my bariatric team. I go to support group meetings and no one (patients or professional group leaders) has ever mentioned dental problems.

Not here.

Jamie, what you say makes complete sense to me, but i am always interested in actual studies. What i have noticed over the years of hanging out around here (and I suspect this applies to FB groups!) is that you can get a disproportionate idea of things as - "she who posts most is heard loudest"

About 2.5 years ago there was a very very very vocal woman who had a leak. She had gone to the same surgical practice as I did and blamed them. If you had read this forum at the time you would imagine that that particular center of excellence was not just incompetant but actually maliciously interested in harming people. It was astounding to me how everyone dog piled on - full of sympathy (of course) and it was a misrepresentation of how that practice operates.

I would say in general, reading this sleeve forum here you hear both the best and the worst while the "average" is clearly under-represented. My point is that going by what is posted on a forum is not a balanced view.

In general, teeth do not go bad after surgery. There was one woman who attended one of our bariatric support group meetings who indicated she began losing teeth and her hair after surgery. But it sounded like she had bad surgery. Her stomach was made so small that she could consume only a thimble full of food at a time. She was over a year out and was deficient in everything vitamins, minerals, protein.

Thanks for the feedback. I feel a little more at ease about my upcoming surgery

I'm a dental hygienist. While anything that effects our immune system (HIV, steroids, uncontrolled diabetes, and nutritional deficiencies) can lead to periodontal (gum) problems and tooth loss, the biggest factor is personal oral hygiene. Brushing, flossing daily and regular dental visits are key in maintaining oral health.

Funny topic. I keep having dreams of losing teeth. Not sure what that is all about. I see a dentist routinely and have overall good dental health.

My friend did have some issues with her dental health after she had a gastric bypass but in her case she did NOT take care of herself properly after. She doesn't even take supplements.

I would think since the sleeve doesn't change the absorption of food and with the aide of supplements, your dental health shouldn't suffer. Just continue to practice good dental hygiene and maintain regular cleanings/maintenance.

@@Jrs_lovely1 Did you have braces? I often have dreams about losing my teeth as well and I was told that it is common for people who have had braces to have those sorts of dreams.

Edited February 11, 201511 yr by JamieLogical

I sure did!!! I am about 2 years now post braces. I have my permanent retainers and my nightly ones as well. That's crazy.

@@Jrs_lovely1 Did you have braces? I often have dreams about losing my teeth as well and I was told that it is common for people who have had braces to have those sorts of dreams.

No teeth issues here.

I was reading on a gastric bypass facebook page and a lot of people were saing how their teeth were getting bad and how they had to get dentures

I already have dentures. The hard part, pre-op, is learning how to have teeth and to chew!