Dental issues?

[Lovin2lose 25]

Who has had major dental issues since having surgery? I swear I'm about to jump off a cliff. This June will mark 7 years since my sleeve. I would say probably about year 3-4, I started having multiple cavaties. The more time went on, the more I got. I've had them all filled in over time to the point where MOST of my teeth are complete "fillings". The dentist said there's really not much of my teeth left, they are mostly made up of fillings. I'm nos to the point where the teeth are just starting to break. I broke one about 4-5 months ago on a Hershey Kiss (no nuts in it) and 2 days ago, another broke on a chicken tender.

The dentist has gone over with me my options..............eventually dentures, partials or implants. GREAT! When I went yesterday to have her look at the one that broke we discussed again my options. I told her I was just about done with my teeth and to pull them all. UGH!!!! The thing is though...............she said in order for me to get partials, I need "anchor teeth" to hook the partials onto. Well, I don't have ANY good teeth anymore to even do that. She said the teeth that would be the "anchor teeth" are completely fillings and would eventually break. She said I could do root canals then cap them but she said those could eventually break as well. Which now leaves me with implants. But I hear those are EXPENSIVE!!!

If you've been in the same boat as me, what has been your experience? Did you end up having all your teeth removed and get dentures? Partials? Implants? How painful was your experience? How did your new teeth look? Any pros/cons? I'm only 51. I never thought I'd get to this point.

[Tomo 1,196]

My mom and brother had lost all their teeth by 60s. They never had WLS. I had vsg in 2015, and RNY over a year and a half ago, I have no issues with problems with teeth at all.

[St77 87]

I'm in my 40's and many years ago I had start replacing my teeth due to issues with my teeth being weak. Like you, the dentist filled as much as possible, but eventually I needed root canals and crowns. Over years I started getting that work done, had to have some crowns replaced when they came off and in one place where there were two teeth that were an issue, I got a bridge.

Root canals for me don't register on a pain scale (but then again I get blinding migraines). Pain is very subjective. However, you can have issues with root canals that may require further treatment and crowns can fall off.

As for dentures...my mom had to get dentures at 26 years old and she said getting all of her teeth pulled for it was painful. Her dentures have had to be replaced a few times because they broke or something was feeling right.

I've heard implants are expensive and it's time consuming for the process.

[catwoman7 11,278]

Dental issues due to WLS aren't unheard of, but based on the number of posts I've seen about it during the eight years I've been on this and other boards (i.e., hardly any) it seems like it's pretty uncommon.

I talked to my dentist about it before I had RNY because I was really freaked out about it. He said he'd read about it in the professional literature, but he's never actually seen it in his patients who've had WLS. He said it's most likely due to acid - from either vomiting or GERD (or silent GERD - when people don't realize they have GERD). He had me start using a prescription high fluoride toothpaste before going to bed, and his hygienist puts a fluoride varnish on my teeth every six months. He said both would go a long way toward preventing any issues. To be honest, I think he probably did that to placate me because I was so freaked out, but that's fine - I'd just as soon do whatever I can to protect my teeth, especially now that I'm in my 60s when even non-WLS people start having issues.

anyway, sorry this is happening to you.

P.S. dry mouth can also cause dental problems because bacteria is more likely to grow in that environment. Could that be a culprit? (there are a lot of meds that can cause dry mouth)

Edited February 8, 2023 by catwoman7

[NP_WIP 274]

Not sure how the surgery affects teeth down the line, but understand your frustation, I have been having similar issues since puberty. My mom has dentures from her early 20s, and I have 3 implants from when I turn 18, had a bridge, braces, some chains attached to my braces (I know lol), had to get 2 bone grafts because my jaw bone was not enough and had to eventually get a gum graft because of my receding gums, multiple root canals, etc.

Not sure if you have insurance or not, I do not but have Dental Plans, it reduces your dentist fee up to 80% and you pay about $90 per year. You can use this to cover the fee or the portion your insurance does not cover.

Good luck

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[SleeverSk 635]

I know someone who got a full mouth of implants from Thailand for 6k AUD and was very happy with the results.

[goodjointplease 2]

I can relate to an extent. I have yet to have any WL procedure but have had a few dental nightmares from 2015-2018. In retrospect, the thing I wish I got was second opinions. If it's possible to get a consultation with an endodontist, I think that would be a good thing. I regret letting the dentist I had before do my caps (without doing a root canal). I think it's possible an endodontist might have a better idea if a root canal is possible or not. The second dentist I got, whom I really like, when those teeth that had crowns abscessed, sent me to an micro-endodontist and he was able to save all my teeth and the existing crowns when my first dentist just wanted me to get them pulled. I do know implants need to be screwed into your jaw so that needs to be in good shape. I know it can be cheaper to let your general dentist do that kind of work, but my experience tells me sometimes specialists are best. Best of luck!

Edited February 8, 2023 by goodjointplease

[SleeverSk 635]

Totally agree, I wish I went to a specialist.

[The Greater Fool 2,071]

It's not a general WLS thing but specifically a Gastric Bypass thing because we tend to mal-absorb some things like, specifically, Iron and Calcium.

Interestingly, things like bones and teeth are made with calcium. So if one has bad teeth or bones to start, then add eating less food generally which means consuming less Calcium, then add mal-absorbing calcium, and then perhaps not adding in enough Calcium supplements and viola! teeth get worse and osteoporosis is more problematic.

With Iron you end up with anemia.

This is a reason supplements are more important for Gastric Bypass folks.

There is a bit of good new though. More recent Gastric Bypass surgeries are more often more proximal limbs (less is bypassed) than in older surgeries, so less absorption issues and less problems. If you have a more distal (more bypassed) then think more about supplementation or at least ensure more in your diet.

My surgery is older and I think more distal so I'm sure to eat plenty of ice cream

Good luck,

Tek

[Fred in Pa 236]

I have dental issues. Most it came from the Navy and getting massive fillings in many teeth. So, I’m concerned about surgery making things worse.

I have read, like others above, the issue may be the acid. So I’m going to try adding mouthwash and such with a more alkaline content.

Here is a great site that talks about mouth acids and then goes on to rate mouthwashes.

https://www.centralpointfamilydentistry.com/post/what-mouthwashes-are-like-rinsing-with-soda

[Arabesque 7,583]

I think genetics play a big part in how strong your teeth are. So there may be a predisposition or weakness to various teeth issues. My brother has never had a dental issue, refused to take the fluoride tablets as a child, wasn’t the most regular brusher & rarely goes to the dentist. His dentist says he’d go broke if he was relying on doing procedures on my brother. I was the opposite, did & do all the right things: 6 monthly visits, brushing, flossing, fluoride, … & yep I had wisdom teeth removed, braces & fillings. (Haven’t had any for years though.)

I also wonder how many of the teeth issues after surgery is actually from years of eating a poor diet??? It can take up to four or five years for tooth decay to reach a stage that treatment is necessary.

Do you have children? Remember mothers lose a lot of Calcium while pregnant weakening their teeth (& bones). Also, I hate to tell you but menopause can play havoc with your teeth too.

https://www.periodonticsnaples.com/the-negative-effects-of-menopause-on-oral-health

You may be experiencing a perfect storm of contributing factors.

[Sunnyway 345]

I did have to get a tooth pulled after WLS, but I had gone over a year between appointments due to the pandemic so I don't necessarily blame the WLS and its complications.

I had "full mouth rehabilitation" in 2008 resulting in reshaping my bite with crowns on all of my teeth. Over the years I've had to replace a few crowns or have had some root canals and subsequent implants. Yes, crowns are expensive. Implants are even more expensive, and you do need good bone structure. I have five implants now. I can't tell the difference between the implants and my natural teeth. I don't regret the expense even though I had to budget and save for each procedure. My health and smile are worth the expense.

[Creekimp13 5,841]

I'm five years out. Slipped on ice, chomped my teeth and fractured the root of a tooth previously root canaled....needed an implant. Implant process was long because I needed a bone graft on the outside to strengthen the socket. It was perfectly successful, though, and it has been my only major dental issue. I think I had one other filling, too. Neither of these dental repairs, in my opinion, had anything to do with the surgery....just bad luck and age. All my teeth are in great shape now. I get them cleaned twice a year and that's it. No special concerns.

[summerset 5,265]

Having some dental trouble recently as well. However, that tooth was filled the first time when I was around ten or twelve years old? That's over 30 years ago. No new cavities since WLS.