Loosing teeth after gastric bypass and the easy way out?

[Erin18 143]

Hi guys,

So lately I've been seeing posts on tik tok and comments on there about people losing their teeth sometime after gastric bypass. That scares me a bit, but not stopping me from getting the tool. They all say they take their Vitamins everyday. What could be causing them to lose their teeth? Is there something I can do to help prevent that?

The other question is that I know this isn't the easy way out, it's just that everyone else who isn't in our situation always says it is the easy way out and they will argue and argue with you about it saying that it is. It's so annoying, they don't understand that its just like losing weight normally except you just have a tool to help keep you on track and if you mess up, you pay for it. That's like basically the only difference. Why do you think people are so against it? Besides the fact that it's super scary. If people wanted the surgery, it's because they need the help. Plus going in for weigh ins, nutritionist and all that, helps keep you motivated.

People are weird.

[Smanky 757]

Re: losing teeth and TikTok. It's TikTok. Who's saying this? First hand post WLS patients with first-hand knowledge, or the Body Positivity/Fat Liberation/HAES crowd who have a vested interest in putting others off weightloss? I've never heard of the teeth thing. It sounds very much like scare-mongering BS to me, and that it's coming from TikTok raises one mighty red flag. You'll likely have some temporary Hair loss, but losing teeth? Never heard of such a thing in terms of a WLS side effect.

Re: the easy way out. People again often have an ulterior motive, or are projecting their own issues when they double down on the whole "easy way out" myth. I have never dieted harder and changed my lifestyle more diligently than I have after WLS. WE do the hard work counting calories and watching macros and exercising. The surgery simply makes it next to impossible to fall off the wagon. Do people who insist it's the easy way imagine it's ... what? Like the tooth fairy? Fat is taken away by the blessed pixies every night as we still eat whatever we like? It's ignorance, or in the case of people who want to argue and not accept the truth: willful stupidity. And they're not people worth having around.

Some people also just project their own insecurities and that will manifest as a nasty little emotion called envy. You'll find these people in both the above camps.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 807]

I've seen a few posts on this on here. And I found this, it's an interesting read.

https://www.barilife.com/blog/secret-complication-after-bariatric-surgery-2/

[kcuster83 1,505]

I have only heard of this being causes from an extreme Calcium deficiency.

[summerseeker 2,386]

Never ever heard of such utter nonsense. Clean your teeth as usual, visit your dentist as per normal and ignore the other utter rot

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 807]

1 minute ago, summerseeker said:

Never ever heard of such utter nonsense. Clean your teeth as usual, visit your dentist as per normal and ignore the other utter rot

I don't think it's nonsense. If you Google "Dental issues after Gastric Bypass" there's a lot of information about it. I would however, take the Tik Tok posts with a grain of salt, and take the documented studies seriously.

[catwoman7 11,278]

I haven't really heard about losing teeth (that i can recall, anyway), but I'd read about dental issues (i.e., decay) after gastric bypass. I asked my dentist about it around the time I had surgery seven years ago. He said although he'd read about it in the professional literature, he'd never seen any of this in his patients who'd had WLS. On top of that, I rarely see any posts about people experiencing dental issues either here on BP or on other WLS sites. So my take on this is, although it can happen, it's pretty rare.

My dentist said decay issues (with or without WLS) are usually due to too much acid in the mouth, which can happen with excessive vomiting or acid from GERD. I rarely vomit or have issues with reflux anymore (although I did have GERD prior to WLS), but because of my concern, he wrote me a prescription for a super-fluoridated toothpaste that I use before I go to bed. He also puts a fluoride varnish on my teeth every six months. He said those two things should go a long way toward preventing any damage. To be honest, I think he did this more to placate me than anything else because I was so freaked out about it, because I have regular dental appts and take good care of my teeth - so it's likely I never would have had any issues anyway.

so long way of saying - this doesn't seem to be a common issue - and if you're worried about it, have a chat with your dentist (oh -- and keep on top of dental appts, too!)

Edited August 31, 2022 by catwoman7

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 657]

As some others have said, there is some evidence that links WLS to dental issues. The current thinking is that most issues arise from 1) increased incidences of vomiting, and 2) Vitamin deficiency. To combat these, make sure you are not eating foods that cause dumping, listen to your full queues so as not to overeat, take your Vitamins, and maintain good oral hygiene. It is wholly preventable, but it does take some work on your part.

[Erin18 143]

Makes me feel a bit better now and I will still talk to the surgeon about it too. Thing about my dentist, it's like they cancel my appointment every time I have one. I've only seen them twice since I started going there and that was back in July or August of last year. I had an appointment in November and December and they both got canceled. Then they rescheduled it for january this year...canceled. scheduled for Feb, then March. Didn't cancel the appointment in April. Next appointment was in July canceled, then my appointment was August 8th and they canceled that too. My next appointment is at the end of next month. I know I should switch dentists, but no one in my area accepts my insurance.

But whenever I do get in there, I will also make sure to let them know that I'm going to be getting wls and I care about my teeth. I already have weakened enamel on my top front teeth so that does scare me a bit. They were supposed to put something on them to help them and they haven't yet.

And im always going to tell people, when I announce someday that I had wls, that it isn't the easy way out. I know we have to put in like 95% of the work and it does the rest. People who say it's the easy way out are super clueless.

[KimA-GA 540]

people with the dental issues seem to be either people with issues related to vomiting or reflux after surgery or those who have poor dental hygiene to begin with. there are interventions and remedies that dentists can do to help with the acidic issues if you discuss it.

I have a life long issue with acidic conditions in my mouth and use a Toms of Maine toothpaste rapid sensitive relief toothpaste that has l-argine in it. it changes the ph conditions of your moth to help protect against dental erosion. i went from many cavities to it being rare! (i used to have to import another brand from canada… believe this is still the only brand that uses this chemical formula in usa)

[STLoser 1,099]

Since obesity is considered a disease, how can it be the easy way out to take the most effective treatment for it? If someone has some other disease like diabetes, no one would say they took the easy way out for taking insulin for it.
There's so much fat stigma in this society. We can't win. We don't do anything about our weight, people criticize and judge us. We use an effective tool (wls) to lose weight, they also criticize and judge us and say we took the easy way out. I think part of it is that people want to feel superior and feel like obesity could never happen to them. This world would be so much better off if people would learn some empathy, and not judge each other until they've walked in each other's shoes!

Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

[STLoser 1,099]

Also, even if it WERE the easy way out, which it is not, what is so wrong with doing something the easy way!? So we should do everything the hard way or it doesn't count!? We have so many things to make our lives easier (washing machines, dishwashers, etc) and no one accuses us of taking the easy way out with those. Maybe we should just go back to hand washing all our clothes with a washboard. Wouldn't want to take the easy way out!
I'm sorry. I'm ranty today. [emoji51]

Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

[noteasierstronger 34]

Do people who insist it's the easy way imagine it's ... what? Like the tooth fairy? Fat is taken away by the blessed pixies every night as we still eat whatever we like?

These pixies sound awesome. Also it would be a crazy busy job. But then what do they do with the fat after they take it away? Is that how other people gain weight? Do you have to make offerings to the pixies in order to stay on their good side?
... Maybe I should stop wandering down this rabbit hole...

Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

[Smanky 757]

32 minutes ago, noteasierstronger said:

These pixies sound awesome. Also it would be a crazy busy job. But then what do they do with the fat after they take it away? Is that how other people gain weight? Do you have to make offerings to the pixies in order to stay on their good side?
... Maybe I should stop wandering down this rabbit hole...

Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I know, it's a wild mystery, isn't it? And these are all excellent questions. Leave a bowl of milk outside your bedroom door each night as pixie payment. But beware if you forget! They'll prank you in the night by removing fat but stuffing it back into weird places so you wake up with super-fat ears you cannot hide under any hat. Noooooo! The naysayers were right, I should never have done thiiiiiiiis!

[ShoppGirl 5,072]

On 8/31/2022 at 11:17 AM, Erin18 said:

Makes me feel a bit better now and I will still talk to the surgeon about it too. Thing about my dentist, it's like they cancel my appointment every time I have one. I've only seen them twice since I started going there and that was back in July or August of last year. I had an appointment in November and December and they both got canceled. Then they rescheduled it for january this year...canceled. scheduled for Feb, then March. Didn't cancel the appointment in April. Next appointment was in July canceled, then my appointment was August 8th and they canceled that too. My next appointment is at the end of next month. I know I should switch dentists, but no one in my area accepts my insurance.

But whenever I do get in there, I will also make sure to let them know that I'm going to be getting wls and I care about my teeth. I already have weakened enamel on my top front teeth so that does scare me a bit. They were supposed to put something on them to help them and they haven't yet.

And im always going to tell people, when I announce someday that I had wls, that it isn't the easy way out. I know we have to put in like 95% of the work and it does the rest. People who say it's the easy way out are super clueless.

I’m not sure if yours is similar to what I had several years ago but once someone else told me and I shopped around I realized that the dental insurance was not saving me that much money. Not enough to be limited to dentists that I didn’t feel were that great. Maybe call around and ask for the cash price for what you are having done (especially if it’s just routine stuff) and see if you are really saving enough to put up with their mismanaged scheduling.