POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: AboutToStart on July 11, 2009, 11:04:51 pm
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I had my routine teeth cleaning session last week, and when examined by Dr - he was amazed by my gums' recession and exposure of most teeth bases, suggesting many crowns and filling work. Is recending of the gums common with HIV poz folks or am I just especially fortunate??
(ps: gums have been extra sensitive and still sore after cleaning session...)
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someone else will have to chime in. but no, not that i am aware of. your dentist should be able to give you some additional advice on what to do to slow or reverse the effects if possible.
good luck.
best,
d
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First read this: http://www.thebody.com/content/art32245.html
I'm not sure that your dentist should be amazed, unless they're not treating many other HIV patients. Perhaps its just the severity of what he/she is seeing.
Personally I've had gum issues due to "dry mouth" as described in that link I just gave you, causing me to get a line of fillings last year at the base of most teeth. My gums however are technically OK, and otherwise I've not had an increase in cavities and only one crown. I'm 44 so I can't chalk up the latter to HIV particularly. However, I've also been infected for ~20 years and on meds for 16. The problem that was just addressed in the past year though was first detected in 2004 and then they monitored it for a few years before tackling it. It took six visits to do it all, fortunately I went to a university dental school and didn't pay a cent.
If anyone here is reading this and not getting dental care twice a year regularly then you really need to read that link. HIV is not just popping pills and getting cd4 counts.
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interesting article miss p.
when i first started seroconverting my gums became extremely inflammed and sensitive. i went to the dentist to see if i had an infection. lol, if only they knew...
my mouth has been the same for a while. i see my dentist 2 times a year and have a cleaning twice a year. so far so good.
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Oh, I can also recommend using Biotene, both the toothpaste and mouthwash, for extra care in counteracting a dry mouth. You'd be surprised how being on meds for a long time decrease saliva. You should be able to find this in any pharmacy.
http://www.biotene.com/index.aspx
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I had severe gingivitis during seroconversion but I was treated with antibiotics and problem solved. On one tooth the gum has receded but it was because I brushed my teethe with too much strength. Maybe your brushing habits are incorrect.
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I'm not sure that your dentist should be amazed, unless they're not treating many other HIV patients. Perhaps its just the severity of what he/she is seeing.
well I may have "forgotten" to mention to my dentist some two years ago when I bacame poz.. just kept my routine cleaning visits, had a couple of crowns, etc.. Some rescending of the gums began many years ago (at least 10), and I've been told it was the result of brushing too strong.. So this is NOT new and I don't think it's HIV related (I don't have any gum disease or gingivtis..)
I do get, on occasion, weired lil blisters on tongue/upper mouth/base of teeth.. they normally go away by themselves after a while.. One time I was concerned about a white lil pocket of white pus on the side of my tongue (sounds somewhat like the "Hairy Leukoplakia" described on that link miss p. attached). I had it biopsied and it came back from the lab as "abnormal abscess due to overbiting of the tongue".. Perhaps if they "knew" I was poz they would have gone with the Hairy Leukoplakia diagnosis.. I don't know...
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So wait. You're concerned enough to post a thread about HIV and dental issues, but not concerned enough to seek out a dentist that treats people with HIV? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless you live somewhere in the boonies where it's not an option. My dentist even likes having a recent copy of my lab work.
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Once I told my dentist I was poz, he insisted on checkups every 4 months, instead of 6. Being 40 now, my teeth are a little sensitive, but I am not seeing any real gum issues. Diagnosed 3 years ago, but likely infected in 2004ish. On meds for 3 years.
Best thing you can do is to stay close to a dentist with experience looking after poz patients.
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A few months before my diagnosis I noticed that my gums were receding at an unusually quick pace. I couldn't figure out why until I received my diagnosis (AIDS). I began my meds a few weeks later and was quickly hit with a scary case of giant, painful tongue and mouth sores and "Black Hairy Tongue" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hairy_tongue). Not fun.
That taught my to not only brush+floss my teeth more often but to also add regular tongue scrapings. After reading today's posts, I'll also make sure to visit my dentist more often.
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i havent disclosed to my dentist yet either. ive been with him for a number of years and he's one of the last i have to disclose to. i know all the staff and have refered my coworkers there.
i know, its wrong and whatever. i just cant do it. they use universal precautions. i just don't want them treating me differently and i know i should tell them eventually.
and yes, i always graze over the hiv status part when i do my biyearly med chart update. its one of the few times it really hits me.
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So wait. You're concerned enough to post a thread about HIV and dental issues, but not concerned enough to seek out a dentist that treats people with HIV? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless you live somewhere in the boonies where it's not an option. My dentist even likes having a recent copy of my lab work.
don't jump your guns on me, miss p. I've been poz for a couple of years but the incident at my dentist (i.e. "what a huge gum rescession..") has only happened this week..
Like next2you - i don't feel comfortable informing them about my status.. stupid? perhaps, but you're always affraid of rejection, i guess, even when it's just... your dentist.
I think for me it'll just be easier to look for a new (hiv experienced) dentist rather than informing current dentist (who might even have no hiv experience at all..)
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so since my last teeth cleaning session last week my gums have been pretty sensitive/sore.. couple days ago my lips started feeling itchy/dry and this morning two (painful) blisters appeared on the bttm of my tongue. I just started Atripla last night so I was wondering if those blisters could be a reaction to the Atripla or just another step in my mouth "recovery" from the teeth cleaning.. Any thought??
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ATS, go ahead and tell your dentist. I also put it off until this year (3 years after diagnosis). I waited until I got the 'medical history' form where you fill out and check off whatever health issues apply to you. There wasn't one for HIV but AIDS instead! I thought it was a bit strange, so I mentioned to my dentist that I had completed the form but only saw AIDS listed, not HIV, so I didn't check it off, but that I am HIV+. (The truth is that, clinically, I do have AIDS, but I used this as a way to make it easier on myself to bring up the the topic. Silly, perhaps, but I also didn't feel comfortable disclosing). She said 'no problem' and thanked me for telling her.
As to your questions, I have slightly receding gums but have for years before infection. It's not enough to worry about, according to my dentist. I have two check-ups a year, floss (and brush, of course) daily, and have very clean teeth. In fact, the hygienist always comments on how clean my teeth are and that she appreciates it! I haven't had a cavity in years except to repair an old filling or two.
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AboutToStart, I had huge, white mouth sores under soon after starting Atripla. Mine were at the back of my tongue as well as under them. They were so painful that I was unable to eat and I had to get a prescription for oral lidocaine. These sores lasted 1-2 weeks. At the time I was told that the sores were a positive sign that my Atripla was working and that my immune system was "kicking in". I was also on half a dozen meds at the time and my CD4 count was low (165) so I may have had a more extreme reaction.
In addition to the lidocaine, which I used sparingly, I got a lot of relief from Colgate Peroxyl (hydrogen peroxide). This helped a ton! It eliminated the pain without numbing my mouth. And it tasted nice!
Good luck!
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Thnx GNYC09. How soon after starting atripla did you experience that? Mine showed up the very first morning after starting.. I called my Doc office and the nurse said it's prolly NOT atripla associated but to keep her posted if gets worse.. Today (2nd day) it's actually looks/feels a bit better so looks like it's healing by itself. The dizzyness was worse today thou :(
Is the Colgate peroxil you mentioned a tooth paste? mouth wash?
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I noticed my sores three days after starting Atripla. The Colgate Peroxil is a mouthwash http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Products/OverTheCounter/ColgatePeroxyl.cvsp (http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Products/OverTheCounter/ColgatePeroxyl.cvsp).
Sorry to hear about the dizzyness. It's normal the first few weeks (gradually decreasing). What helped me was to not eat for 3 hrs prior to taking the Atripla + not eating fatty foods. You may be doing this already.
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Oh, I can also recommend using Biotene, both the toothpaste and mouthwash, for extra care in counteracting a dry mouth. You'd be surprised how being on meds for a long time decrease saliva. You should be able to find this in any pharmacy.
http://www.biotene.com/index.aspx
[rant]
in the USA you mean right? You do know there are other countries in the world beside the US yes?
[/rant]
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[rant]
in the USA you mean right? You do know there are other countries in the world beside the US yes?
[/rant]
Not to be a smartass ... but I can't help myself at times. It is available at Lloyds pharmacy, Boots & Alliance Pharmacy in the UK.
http://www.biotene.co.uk/biotene/ (http://www.biotene.co.uk/biotene/)
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Gum issues happen as we all get older.
I doubt its a direct hiv issue.
My dentist was more concerned how I brush.
Most people brush back and forth, that causes gum receding.
You are suppose to brush from up to down motion, not down to up,
and that can save the gums from further receding. (going by the dentist)
I actually started doing that, even though its hard to remember to do without
falling back on the back and forth method, but I have pretty much stopped further
gum receding issues.
Also, those tooth pastes with whiteners, peroxide and tarter control cause peoples
teeth to become more sensitive.
My dentist claims more and more complain about teeth sensitive issues.
She suggests a tooth paste for sensitive teeth. Not so hard on the enamel,
and not so full of tarter control and other stuff that cause sensitivity.
My dentist is this older lady in her 60's. Her story is kinda kool, where
she was a housewife all her life raising a family.
Then her husband died, her kids all married and moved away, so she
went back to school at 55 and learned dentistry.
She wasn’t going to sit around and feel useless.
Pretty kool story...
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Not to be a smartass ... but I can't help myself at times. It is available at Lloyds pharmacy, Boots & Alliance Pharmacy in the UK.
http://www.biotene.co.uk/biotene/ (http://www.biotene.co.uk/biotene/)
I don't dispute that. It still hardly qualifies as being available in any pharmacy around the world!
Too often on these forums Americans post as if everybody should know what Medicare is or what the current US$ exchange rate is at the moment...
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Let's keep this thread about gums rescending, shall we?? Thank you randym431 and GNYC09 for your insights. Today - 3rd day on atripla - oral situation seems under control, still some sensitiveness, dryness and a lil sore but deffinately an improvement from first day... And - dizzyness is much better as well. I did take the pill earlier last night (6pm as opposed to 11pm on first two nights) and I did keep 3 hours prior and 1.5hrs after from eating, so perhaps that helped waking up right this morning (Wed). I went to work and functioned just normal so I hope it is a sign for better days to come :)
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I don't dispute that. It still hardly qualifies as being available in any pharmacy around the world!
Too often on these forums Americans post as if everybody should know what Medicare is or what the current US$ exchange rate is at the moment...
So you're saying that we (those of living in the US) need to research the availability and prices for all members of AidsMeds before giving any suggestions on products or meds? ??? If one is really all that interested in purchasing Biotene, one can simply go to www.biotene.com (http://www.biotene.com). There, one will find a link to click on labeled 'Where to Buy'. Drugstore.com is the first link on that page. Once one has gotten this far, one can see a link titled 'international'. There are approximately 37 countries listed. When the correct country is selected, the currency can be set for what's available in that country. See, with the internet and world-wide shipping, many products really are available at just about 'any pharmacy around the world'.
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I don't dispute that. It still hardly qualifies as being available in any pharmacy around the world!
Too often on these forums Americans post as if everybody should know what Medicare is or what the current US$ exchange rate is at the moment...
Is klonopin available in your country, because I highly would like to suggest that you pop a couple of them.
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Newbie, David, Miss P, please stop this hijack right now. The OP requested that it stop, but David and Miss P, you two saw fit to ignore his wishes. ::)
Let's keep this thread about gums rescending, shall we??
Newbie, this website is based in the US, so of course there's going to be a bias. If it were a UK based site, you'd have a British bias. It's just the way things go.
Ann
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I don't know if receding gum issues plague everyone with HIV, but it sure happened to me. In fact, it was one of the (numerous) factors that led to my diagnosis.
Unaware that I had been HIV-positive for YEARS, I had a routine dental X-ray in 2007, and the dentist brought the X-rays into the exam room to show me how badly my gums had receded in the past year. We discussed possible causes, and the dentist finally suggested that it was probably due to years of cigarette smoking. He encouraged me to stop smoking, and projected that I would have some SERIOUS gum problems in the coming years if I elected to continue smoking.
A few weeks later, I found out that I was HIV-positive, and that my CD4 count was 68. I started on Atripla almost immediately. The following spring, I had my routine dental X-rays done again, and -- guess what! --- my receding gums had "healed". The dentist was pretty confused. He kept looking back and forth between the 2007 x-rays and the current 2008 x-rays with a bewildered look and finally said, "I don't know what you did in the past few months, but your gums look GREAT!"
I hadn't disclosed to him at that point, as the whole HIV experience was still new to me. If I had disclosed to him, I'm sure he would've realized that the HIV medication had halted (and possibly even reversed) the "peeling away" of my gums from my teeth. Anyway, things are looking really good now, and I expect you'll see a similar improvement after a few weeks (or months) on meds. The HIV meds definitely seem to slow down or stop the damage in the mouth.
Jabez
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The HIV meds definitely seem to slow down or stop the damage in the mouth.
Jabez
Good to know there are some GOOD side effects as well to atripla/meds (other than the obvious improvement in lab numbers...). Thanks Ja'z.
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I just had my regularly scheduled dental cleaning this morning. I go twice a year. My dentist knows I am poz. Usually he asks for my labs, but not this time. Guess what, he dentist told me that I had a lot of gum recession on one tooth. He told me that I should brush that gum area less vigorously in order to avoid further recession. But that I need to keep brushing all the other gums for good gum health ! That's really hard to do ...
He gave me sensodyne toothpaste too, but I was already using that for many years. I use an oral-b electric toothbrush. One option that was offered was to do a filling over that tooth with gum recession to prevent decay and infection, but for now the dentist says he would rather watch it.
I know the gum is recession is not caused by HAART since I'm not on it.
It's not smoking either, since I have never smoked.
As far as being caused by HIV, maybe. As of last week, my VL reached a low of 275 . So I have a hard time believing it. Unless gum tissue happens to be one of those viral reservoirs.
Old age ? I turned 33 last month, I'd like to think that's not it just yet.
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My Doc asked me to gargle with hydrogen peroxide each morning. Its a bit difficult to get use to. If you follow the directions on the label, you can dilute so you can tolerate it.
I now gargle peroxide at full strength, spit it out and then immediately gargle with scope to eliminate the awful taste and bubbling sensations. You would not believe how clean your mouth feels afterward.
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I tried the Biotene mouth wash recommended earlier/above by Miss P and I find it great!!! It's very refreshing without the alchohol sting you get from a regular mouth wash (Listerine) and def. helps calming down any weired sensation (tingling, burning, dryness...) in mouth/tongue.
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I tried the Biotene mouth wash recommended earlier/above by Miss P and I find it great!!! It's very refreshing without the alchohol sting you get from a regular mouth wash (Listerine) and def. helps calming down any weired sensation (tingling, burning, dryness...) in mouth/tongue.
Yeah, it's very good and not at all objectionable in taste. You should snag the toothpaste too.
Also, nobody (well one person) seemed to mention flossing, and frankly the emphasis should always be on flossing above all else as far as I'm concerned. Everyone hates flossing, but you just have to make yourself do it.