I have been diagnosed for almost a year now. I ran away from the prednisone and just started my first week without it. It has been a long taper. I now take Enbrel shots each week. I am sore, swollen, and always very tired. I have had some time to accept the physical issues that this disease causes. What I was not ready for is the periodontal disease. Some of my teeth are breaking off. I now have to have deep gum treatments every 6 months to keep my mouth healthy. I did see where autoimmune disease can be a factor with the bacteria that causes periodontal disease. Has anyone else had this along with their PsA?
There are obviously different causes for this, but I'm wondering if you could have Sjogrens? This would cause dry mouth, which contributes to cavities and loss of teeth.
I feel for you. . . I've had deep gum treatment once, and I was not very happy with the experience. Definitely inform your rheumy of this. I tend to tell all of my doctors everything, even if it doesn't seem particularly relevant. They can decide on their own if there is any connection.
I looked at the symptoms. The dry mouth is something I always battle. I will be calling the dr asap. Thank you.
Stoney said:
There are obviously different causes for this, but I'm wondering if you could have Sjogrens? This would cause dry mouth, which contributes to cavities and loss of teeth.
I feel for you. . . I've had deep gum treatment once, and I was not very happy with the experience. Definitely inform your rheumy of this. I tend to tell all of my doctors everything, even if it doesn't seem particularly relevant. They can decide on their own if there is any connection.
That's one of those diagnoses that is easy to miss. You see the dentist regarding dental problems, the eye dr regarding dry eye, etc. Always mention symptoms all over. I'm surprised the dentist isn't treating you more proactively too.
This has come up before on an old post. Plenty of PSA sufferers have similar problems with their teeth breaking off. There is no proof to verify that PSA is the reason, but just another one of those common problem that many of us have had. No harm in checking out if it may be caused by something else, but if you don't find an answer it is more than likely to be PSA.
OMG, I am the poster child for bad teeth and gums. There is no reason why I have the problems I do that anyone can say. Last year I had to have all of my top teeth pulled and implants put in and then the plate to fit. While I love my "teeth" I am annoyed that I have had to lose my real ones. Nobody in my family even has a cavity and I lost my top teeth. To be honest I have never thought that PSA could be a cause of this, but now you have made me wonder. What about my bottom ones? Now I am worried!
My dentist is proactive with my oral care because of my PsA. I rinse with Biotene whenever my mouth feels dry, or sore, or itchy, or anything. If I can't brush or floss properly due to jaw pain, I use Crest Total Care mouth rinse to kill bacteria. I go for cleanings at the dentist every 3-4 months, instead of every 6 months, because otherwise my gums get irritated (they get inflamed for just about anything.... one of the worst was a tiny bit of popcorn hull stuck in my gum for 6 hrs.... gum was inflamed for over a MONTH).
I've had a few chipped teeth in the past few years, and I've had root canals and crowns on almost all the molars because my teeth nerves got inflamed and wouldn't settle down and became agonizing. That happened only one or two at a time over about 10 yrs, so not too bad all at once.
I've heard of a lot of people having breaking or crumbling teeth with various autoimmune diseases. It's rare but not unheard of.