Dental Issues

[mgt3boys 24]

I had the sleeve done in July of 2014 and the first 2 years were great. Lost 85lbs and kept it off, reflux was gone, diabetes gone, hbp gone. I went from 10-15 pills a day down to 2. After 2 years I started noticing reflux issues coming back and had to have my gall bladder removed. I have slowly started gaining some of the weight back and my craving for sugar is ridiculous...mainly my fault. In the process of trying to reset my pouch right now and trying to curb the sugar cravings by reducing my carbs.

My main concern now is my dental health. For the last 2 years my teeth have been falling apart. They keep breaking, the cavities are ridiculous. I’ve had my bridge fall off only after being on for 4yrs due to decay underneath it. I’ve had a crown fall off due to decay. I’ve had 2 root canals and to date I’ve had to get 4 more crowns because my teeth keep breaking off. I’ve spent about $4,000 in dental work so far with insurance and I have about another $8,000 left to do. My dentist has recommended 2 implants because 2 of my teeth are so bad off. I could see if this were due to dental hygiene, but it’s not. I brush 2, sometimes 3 times a day, floss, use Sensodyne Intensive Enamel Repair and Enamel On(flouride toothpaste from dentist) every time I brush and I don’t rinse it off, I let it sit on my teeth, flouride rinse, and my teeth are regularly cleaned every 6 months by the dentist. I also take my Multivitamin and my Calcium vitamins(actually take 1 more than is needed) every day. My dentist says he has quite a few bariatric patients who are also experiencing a lot of dental issues. Has anyone had a lot of problems with their teeth and if so have you addressed it with your gastric surgeon? What are they saying about it? I was not told 5 years ago that this was even an issue.

[S@ssen@ch 745]

I have no answers for you but can relate. I think I saw a post on here a year or so ago mentioning the higher rate of dental issues in bariatric patients. I'll be interested to see what others have to say.

I was sleeved April 2018 and for the last year I've also struggled with dental issues. I have mild periodontal disease in the back 3 teeth, both sides/upper and lower where I never had issues before. I've noticed more "staining" and decay. I haven't had to have any significant dental work, but the signs are showing a future with dental work. I also brush at least twice/day, floss and use restorative mouth rinses. My hygienist said that it might be related to acid reflux.

[Lynda486 788]

I totally believe it is due to the acid reflux. I started having issues a couple years after my 1st surgery and I asked the dental hygienist if it could be related to my awful GERD, she said no. Turns out she was wrong. But it only makes sense that the acid would cause decay!

[catwoman7 11,284]

my dentist said he personally hasn't seen any with his WLS patients, but he's read about it. He said it's usually due to untreated acid reflux (or acid from vomiting). I also use the prescription flouride toothpaste and get a fluoride varnish brushed on my teeth every six months. He said that should go a long way in preventing issues. So far so good with me...no problems yet.

[mattheusbuz 0]

Like you, I took Vitamins, Calcium, and Iron to normalize my dental health. I passed on the gene on my mother's side that caused my teeth to crumble. This is not the nicest thing that can happen to our teeth. I went to see a nutritionist who promised to strengthen my teeth and bones through supplements, but it didn't help. My teeth were destined to go bad! I got implants a long time ago. All that remained was to fix my crooked front teeth. So after the implants, I also had an Invisalign dentist Bay Village, OH. Invisalign isn't noticeable to others, so it worked best for me. I didn't want to wear braces because I was in my 30s.

Edited June 29, 2022 by mattheusbuz