Dental work

Hello Celeste

If this is your interest then I think you might like to hear my history. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's when I was 40 but my symptoms started 15 years earlier, symptoms I remembered quite clearly on diagnosis.  My mother died prematurely and suddenly in the May of that year, I was teaching almost full-time and studying at Uni almost full-time in the same year and then in July I had the first of two impacted wisdom teeth removed.  About three weeks later one salivary gland become very swollen.  I went to the Uni doctor who said I had mumps; I said I had already had this as a child; "oh well, some mumps like virus then, go home and rest".  I rested over the weekend and the swelling went down, though I do not remember how rapidly.  I would not have taken time off either work or study.  I did not experience a dry mouth at the time.  There was no repetition of the swelling until about a year later when I had the second of the two impacted wisdom teeth removed.  Again, about three weeks later the same salivary gland swelled up.  I went to the Uni doctor who said I should see a specialist and wrote the referral.  I was still studying and teaching so fitting in a trip to the city and a visit to a specialist was difficult but I did it, eventually.  Only in his office did I discover that I had been sent to the wrong specialist - ENT instead of rheumatologist.  By that time or within the few months that followed, I more or less decided (significantly influenced by the people with whom I was living) that the now frequent slight swelling and pain behind my ear was just a stress reaction.  Thus I saw no further specialists.  Within about four years I was getting sore eyes (allergic conjunctivitis said the local GP) and then I went to the dentist and needed numerous fillings.  The fillings continued through the next few years ("you must have a sweet tooth" - well, yes, I did have).  Eleven years after that first tooth extraction, the Raynaud's started, two years later I was diagnosed with dry eyes and two years after that, based on blood tests (newly available), with Sjogren's.  I had no symptoms whatsoever before the removal of that first wisdom tooth; I was then 25 years of age and had been a very healthy child/adolescent/young adult.  I had had fillings before this and had had a back molar removed when I was 16.  I was always sure later that the removal of the wisdom tooth was the instigating factor but didn't, still don't really, know what it was about that removal that was the cause or if something else was 'lurking' in the background.  I have avoided any other tooth removal since, my dentist going to great lengths to preserve what he can.  I am in trouble now, however, as a 3rd wisdom tooth, with no room to come down, has been steadily pushing its way through for the past more than three decades and now, having pushed the teeth out of position and the jawbone out of position, has nowhere else to go and is constantly painful.  After 48 years of Sjogren's my dryness - eyes, mouth, throat, nose, Eustachian tube (?) - is severe, so the decision to have the tooth removed is an agonizing one.

I will be most interested to read any other replies.

Maureen

I’m really interested in this because I am convinced that it was dental work that started my own symptoms.

Mine is relatively recent but still relevant I think. 17 months ago, a bridge came loose and subsequently came out for the 2nd time in as many years. As a type 1 Diabetic, my dentist wasn’t surprised and I was talked into having a partial denture palate. I happily agreed because I thought it would be ‘easier’.....

Within 2 weeks of wearing the palate, I began getting a sore tongue which rapidly became much worse, with sometimes agonising pain and the onset of dryness, mainly around the back of my tongue. My dentist hadn’t removed the post which held the bridge and it was left in situ, in my gum but over the next 6 months, I was told by both my dentist and the oral surgeon that this was merely a coincidence - that my symptoms were unrelated.

Fast forward and I am still in pain (semi controlled with Amitryptiline) and the dryness in my entire mouth becomes debilitating within minutes if I don’t chew gum or sugar free mints which in turn, lead to flare ups of severe diorreah due to the sweeteners used in these products. I am still seeing an oral surgeon and have had a lip biopsy several weeks ago but have to wait until my next appointment some 4 weeks away.

I have had no diagnosis so far and I get the feeling that no-one is taking me seriously and am slowly becoming severely depressed with an uncertain future. However, enough of that! The bottom line is that to this day, I blame the dental work for the subsequent symptoms, regardless of what the professionals tell me and I always will, unless they can come up with a diagnosis which tells me otherwise.

I wish everyone the best of luck with the SS and I sincerely hope that things may improve for us all.

I did have a filing on my back tooth a month before I started having Sjogren's symptoms. I think it does have something to do with my problems.

Can't blame dental work in my case. Had cavities as a kid. Had all 4 wisdom teeth removed during college by 3 different dentists in 3 towns/ cities in 2 states, because they were all vastly too large to fit in my mouth & I wasn't about to let them abscess and at the same time push my teeth around. I only did the removals when pain was great enough to interfere w/school or work. All more than 40 years ago.

Your stories are really interesting, thank you. I haven't been diagnosed because my inflammatory markers were not high enough but despite that I'm living with the symptoms of sjorgren's. I had some dental work not too long before I started getting symptoms so it made me wonder. Docs and dentists will categorically say there is no connection, but that's only because research hasn't yet found one - indeeed research may not even be looking in that direction. Investigating autoimmune problems is extremely challenging, they don't understand much about them at all currently.

Some other things about me that may also be relevant: I am allergic to the metal nickel and to some detergents. I have had a contraceptive coil in the past but this has been removed. I don't know whether any of this may make me intolerant to the metal in my fillings or some other thing, or whether anyone else shares this history?

My situation with dental problems started when I was 5 yrs old. We in dentist office and had five cavities. It seemed my whole life I had bad teeth. Root canals began early and cavities continued. I broshed and flossed everyday. When I was 30 I had a cavity in every tooth. I didnt want to loose my teeth so I spent 25,000 to get them fixed. I hated the dentist so much. When was young I would hide so my mom wouldnt find me. But never suceeded. 6 months later went back for chrck up and a cavity in every tooth. I broke down crying. What am I doing wrong. I didnt have another 25,000. I had no choice. It was hard enough to just walk in the office and go thru all the traumatic pain and anxiety. Sometimes zi would pass out when I walked out to my car. I told the dentist I needed to. think about this. I checked around town to find a good price dentist and oral surgeon to pull all my teeth. I thought I did. He had an anesthesiologist who could put me asleeep for the pulling of the teeth. It would make it easier on me. 8 hrs later they wake me up. Too long to be under. I went home and it hurt in an area of my mouth . I was checking to find out why and pulled out a drill bit. I was mad. Went back in to tell him. I showed the dentist and and he said thete it is and grabbed it out of my hand. I will make this not as long. Found a wonderful dentist who said he could help. He called the other dentist and told him to make it right. So he made the $3500 dollar bill go away. He tried to help with no succesd. Again another dentist who a friend knew and finished the pulling of my terth and i got dentures. Better than no teeth. I started loosing bone on bottom teeth when I was 45 and so i had mini implant put on the bottom. They help bone growth and just clamp bottom in with regular top denture. Best thing Ive ever done. But after 15yrs the bottom implant supported denture broke. The mini implants cost 5,000. I could pay for new supported denture. I was able to get a dental plan the office offered it was 2,000 for those and my part of top denture was 400. That is where ibam as we speak. I go back for adjustments on Mon. Between all this time I developed Lichen Planus another autimmune disease that was after all teeth were pulled. I had it for almost a uear. It was awful ulcers all over and inside my mouth . A dermatologist was able to help me.. That happened actually in the middle of my dental experiences. I am 66 yrs old now and pulling my teeth getting mini. implants was best thing I ever did. Took my whole life but mabe my story can help someone else. I am sorry this was so long. I needed to share it. Sorry for typos. This is the longest text in history. God bless and good luck.

My message back to you disappeared

I will try again. My dental work was started when i was young. Continued all my life. The dryness in my was caused by sjogrens. Even though i was diagonsed at 45 i had it before that. It used to take over ten yrs. Now the time has been shortened to 2.5 yrs to 5 yrs. Doctors , Rheumys, and surgeons. Opthomologist are now working closer than ever with each other and diagnosing.

God bless you a d good luck