Oral surgery instead of loose crown

[Judie P]

Ugh. Sjogren's really does a number on your mouth.  Found out the loose crown was due to decay underneath.  Nothing there to hold it in.  Ended up with a tooth extraction, cavity filled next to it, bone grafting, lots of antibiotic cleanser, and a deep cleaning.  They put in stitches and a temp for the moment.  Put me on antibiotics that I hope will not give me C Diff again.  Stitches come out Monday.  Then 3 weeks later I will have the permanent replacement put in.  Don't know when the cervical surgery will happen.

Now I am getting scared.  If I feel this way after oral surgery, how am I going to feel after a C2 - C7 is decompressed and fused.  I feel helpless now.  How am I going to feel after I no longer can permanently move my neck more than 30%?

Sorry, just had to vent and talk to someone out there.  My clients expect me to be optimistic and I just don't feel that way right now.

[meirish]

I can understand how you feel with your tooth. I had teeth like this and went on for 15 years or so. So many root canals, antibiotics..usually 2 different ones at a time. Ended up with a bridge on top and then so many teeth pulled here and there. I never had problems with bone infection that I know of but could have had. Just on a ton of antibiotics. Argued with dentists and told them my teeth were sick and all needed to be pulled. Went on for years.


Had 8 cavities filled in 2002 and quit that dentist. He wanted to do implants and I said "no". I had no diagnoses at that time but knew something was wrong. Took me til November to find a dentist who would take me. I had 17 cavities then. Dentist took his time and pulled a couple here and there and they all had abscesses when pulled. Almost a year before he got my gums and teeth cleaned up well enough for the rest to be pulled and get dentures. When my teeth were pulled finally the roots all looked like they had died but showed up fine on x-ray.

The truth is...Sjogrens can do a job on your teeth and cause so much infection and problems. You are lucky to get this cleaned up prior to surgery. Infection in teeth can be fatal if not taken care of. I felt so much better after I had the last of my teeth pulled and dentures. I am so lucky I didn't die as I had some strange infections in the roof of my mouth and lots of pain, etc. I counted antibiotics I was on during this time and it was well over 50. A horrible time in my life when I look back.

I always tell people with Sjogrens to watch their teeth and don't let dentists try to save all your teeth. I spent a fortune on my teeth during this time and suffered a lot. I would never had tooth implants when suffering from Sjogrens as the chance of getting bone infection is very high for us. Find good dentists and orthodontists etc to get you through this time. In form your orthopedic surgeon about your teeth and infections as he may have some input about this. Just my input over something I know more than I ever wanted to about teeth and Sjogrens. Do not panic and worry yourself over this just make good decisions early on to prevent more of these issues and take care of them early. Good luck. meirish

[Judie P]

Thank you, Irish.  I just know my teeth problems are from Sjogren's.  I got a letter stating I have periodontal disease.  Why am I not surprised?  Dentist now says I never had an infection, just a bad tooth.  He put me on antibiotics as a preventative.  Really?  Now that all this work has been done, I can't reverse it, so I can only move forward.  I think in the future I will take your advice.  I need a dentist that understands Sjogren's.

Also, thank you for telling me about your neighbor's cervical fusion.  That was a tremendous help to me mentally.  I have to be positive and strive for what I can do after the surgery is done.  Yeah, waiting to heal is going to be a pain in my neck (pun).  LOL

[meirish]

I hate to tell your dentist this but you had an infection otherwise the bone would not have been affected. The best thing for dental care is finding a good dentist and making sure things are checked out in a timely manner. I spent to long with a bad dentist. A couple of them when I trusted them and found out later they had no clue.

The problem is they think they can save everyone's teeth and also put in implants and get rich. Doesn't work that way as some teeth can't be save. Not only that these dentists need to listen to their patients and update themselves on Sjogrens and other autoimmune diseases. Enough of my ranting for the evening. It is getting late and I am recovering (i hope) from covid. Been a long week and it ain't over yet. Take care and stay positive. meirish