I’m part of an bypass FB group and someone recently posted about their oral health and the overall state of their teeth is awful since getting surgery. How can this be avoided? I really love my teefs. They’re purdy.

Edited November 29, 20187 yr by Kimmie K

Consult your dentist and let them know about surgery. They may give you additional instructions and tips!

I’ve heard the chewable vitamins can be rough of the teeth, because particles of the vitamin will get stuck in the teeth/gum for awhile. On the flip side, vitamin deficiencies can also cause dental problems... https://www.barilife.com/blog/secret-complication-after-bariatric-surgery-2/

Also- keep in mind that increases nausea is a bit of a problem that many of us face. Stomach acids are awful on tooth enamel. You can read up best practices for cleaning up post-vomit here: https://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-32/issue-1/columns/preventing-dental-erosion-in-the-pregnant-patient.html.

The article references pregnant patients, but the basic point is that stomach acid is, well, acid and you should try to neutralize the acid in your mouth, as opposed to brushing the acid all over and into the teeth.

Make sure you get enough vit D & calcium and keep up a good dental hygiene routine and that should be enough

Sometimes the people that post with tooth issues are those that either have not taken calcium supplements or have not followed up with proper lab work or dental visits.

Doing those three things can help avoid dental problems.

Some people naturally have bad teeth genetics wise as well.

My doctor told me that you can only absorb a certain amount of Calcium at once so I take it 3x a day. You also have to take Iron 4 hours before or after the Calcium so I take Calcium with meals and Iron before bed. My doctor recommended Viactiv Calcium +Vitamin D3 Supplement Soft Chews, Caramel, 100 Chews - Calcium Dietary Supplement for Bone Health by Viactiv and I like it.

I also brush almost every time I eat with a Quip electric toothbrush, because it's very soft, and use a Philips Sonicare HX8211/02 Airfloss Rechargeable Electric Flosser.

I am anticipating RNY in January. I had a dentist appt yesterday and asked about my dental health after surgery. They don’t anticipate any issues. Just said to take my vitamins.

Awesome...this is all good to hear. Oral hygiene and health has always been a HUGE deal to me. Team Sonicare for years. The DiamondClean toothbrush has amazed my dentist. He's like "Holy cow, what kind of toothbrush are you using?!" Thanks for all the input, folks!

I'd personally dump the chewable vitamins as soon as you can per your doc's instructs. I agree that the chewables feel like they are hard on my teeth health. The chewable iron has stained my enamel at my gum line terribly! I'm trying to find carbonyl iron pills now to replace my Celebrate Iron Chewables.

I am 70 and still have all my original teeth except for on molar and my wisdom teeth. I had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago and it did not affect my teeth at all.

Like others have said, it is extremely important to follow the surgeon's guidelines on daily vitamin intake after surgery. A lack of calcium can destroy your teeth and bones.

1 hour ago, FluffyChix said:

I'd personally dump the chewable vitamins as soon as you can per your doc's instructs. I agree that the chewables feel like they are hard on my teeth health. The chewable Iron has stained my enamel at my gum line terribly! I'm trying to find carbonyl iron pills now to replace my Celebrate Iron Chewables.

What do you take for Calcium? That's my only chewable.

6 minutes ago, JessLess said:

What do you take for Calcium? That's my only chewable.

I take 6 per day to get me to the 1500mg/daily threshold. Like James, I put all my supps in a bowl and take them at intervals of 2-3 hours throughout the day.

I take these 2 different ones:

Solaray Capsules

https://express.google.com/u/0/product/12005711008087417328_285116190776288886_5755393?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=tu_cu&utm_content=eid-lsjeuxoeqt&gtim=CNeTlcbMg_-kSxClw5qutKfAzaUBGPCLxAkiA1VTRCigy6zgBTCBpN8C&utm_campaign=5755393&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuf7fBRD7ARIsACqb8w7kai6x2ceLuIDmT2uZlhlbAMPMyAwZwKp4Ur_DUbK2xiLz02ygcucaAk76EALw_wcB

NOW Calcium Citrate Tablets

https://www.puritan.com/now-foods-brand-0089/calcium-citrate-024409?scid=45184&cmp=gpl-_-mineralproducts-_-024409 NOW® Foods&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuf7fBRD7ARIsACqb8w7s5J8tmOg4uuwANWLw6rqLN6jD1t4YjLBh2jk5mrz0hfDj1DINt5caAlu3EALw_wcB

Edited November 29, 20187 yr by FluffyChix

I don't see very many posts about people having dental issues (a few, but not very often), and my dentist hasn't seen any problems with his WLS patients, so while it does happen to some, I don't get the sense it's terribly common.

My dentist said it's most likely due to acid (e.g. from vomiting or unmanaged GERD), but it could also be that people aren't being consistent with their supplements. My dentist gave me a prescription for some super-high-fluoride toothpaste that I use every night before bed, and he also does a fluoride varnish on my teeth every six months. He said if I *am* one of those people with acidic saliva, those two things will go a long way in preventing any problems. I'd say keep up with your dental hygiene and dental visits, and let your dentist know you're having WLS and are concerned about your teeth and see what he/she suggests.

Im a dental hygienist and 2 main things will cause dental problems 1is not getting the proper vitamins and acids from the stomach can be very damaging to the teeth. I always tell my pregnant pts to rinse with water after they vomit and try to control acid reflux. Dont brush directly after getting sick it will brush the acids into the teeth wait about 30 minutes.

Sharon21, thank you for the advice, very helpful!

My boyfriend had a lot of tartar build up at his last exam. Hygienist said it could be due to 1 week pre-op liquid diet and 4 weeks of post op liquid and pureed food. Since he's not chewing food, it could be the cause. She recommended brushing with a soft brush, esp following drinking protein shakes. I plan to do the same when I begin my pre-op diet!