Loose teeth - prednisone? | Arthritis Information

 

Prednisone is not causing your teeth to fall out.  Rapid bone loss, typically, is a bacterial infection.  That said, those with connective tissue disorders, like lupus, can see a destruction int he tissues that support the teeth...ie pockets, or the tissue pulling away from the bone, allowing bacteria to proliferate.  Now, if your immune system is compromised, you will have a harder time fighting off the disease causing bacteria.  The best thing you can do for yourself is get your teeth professionally cleaned above and below the gums, buy yourself a waterpick and use that sucker!!!!  Low doses of a drug called periostat (minocycline...sound familiar) are used.  They are subclinical levels of antibiotics that can be taken for up to nine months at a time and can help lower the levels of bacteria in the pockets that surround the teeth.

 

Sjogrens causes a decrease in saliva formation.  Saliva has a very needed enzyme, called salivary amylase, that buffers the pH levels in your mouth.  When not present, the acids in your mouth, given off as a waste product of bacteria from the sugars/carbs we eat, erode the teeth (cavities) and the bony support (periodontal disease).  Just depends on which bacteria you have hanging out in your mouth, or both, as to whether you see "bombed out" teeth or loose ones from gum disease.

 

3 x daily, for 3 weeks...after regular brushing/flossing  brush a pea sized amount all over teeth.  Spit out but do not rinse for at least 30 min.

 

2 x daily for 3 weeks...morning and night, peasized amount brush over teeth for one min, no rinsing for at least 30 min.

 

1 x before bed for 4 weeks..pea sized amount for one min. after regular brush/floss, spit, don't rinse. 

 

Should help you immensely.

By the way, if they don't have Gel Kam, they may have another brand.  It is generically called Stannous Flouride.  It is topical, you are not ingesting it, so don't worry about the whole "fluoride" thing that people have with fluoride in their water...which IMHO is a bunch of granola-eating crap anyhoooo.... Thank you thank you thank you for the good info! You are very welcome...and by the way, most of the meds we take affect our salivary flow, so even if you don't have Sjogren's, you will still have more acid, which also causes sensitivity!  Mixed bag of tricks.When I was taking Arava, my teeth hurts and actually one of my back molars broke in half! When the tooth broke it did not hurt nor bleed. It was like my teeth had become soft. Thanks heaps for such detailed info Lisa  I've not heard of waterpicks but google reveals that we do indeed have them for sale in NZ.  From what I've read they do seem to be much more effective than normal flossing.