Sjogren's Syndrome Support Group
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the exocrine glands that produce tears and saliva. It also associated with rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and it is rheumatoid factor positive in 90 percent of cases.
Hi all,
I am considering cosmetic dental work for my top row of teeth which is crowded and crooked (see profile pic). For the record, I believe I have Secondary Sjogren's as a result of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), but I haven't been officially diagnosed.
A little background - I had braces for 4 years as a kid. My top row is crooked because I stopped wearing my retainer after the first year. I had perfectly healthy teeth until 2010, when I developed crazes in one of my front teeth, 4 cavities, and root death that led to 2 root canals. Not surprisingly, I was diagnosed with MCTD at the end of that year.
I was on Prevident paste for almost a year and haven't had any issues other than sensitivity since. I get mild/moderate dry mouth only at night. I am on Plaquenil and I use Biotene products, xylitol gum and MI Paste.
I looked into Invisalign and braces a few years ago and was told it would take 18 months to 2 years to straighten my teeth. I doubt that is even an option now with the dry mouth issues I'm having.
The other wild cards are that I grind my teeth and I will be trying a mandibular advancement device to treat my sleep apnea after I get the cosmetic work done (if I do).
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your responses!
Cori
I am considering cosmetic dental work for my top row of teeth which is crowded and crooked (see profile pic). For the record, I believe I have Secondary Sjogren's as a result of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), but I haven't been officially diagnosed.
A little background - I had braces for 4 years as a kid. My top row is crooked because I stopped wearing my retainer after the first year. I had perfectly healthy teeth until 2010, when I developed crazes in one of my front teeth, 4 cavities, and root death that led to 2 root canals. Not surprisingly, I was diagnosed with MCTD at the end of that year.
I was on Prevident paste for almost a year and haven't had any issues other than sensitivity since. I get mild/moderate dry mouth only at night. I am on Plaquenil and I use Biotene products, xylitol gum and MI Paste.
I looked into Invisalign and braces a few years ago and was told it would take 18 months to 2 years to straighten my teeth. I doubt that is even an option now with the dry mouth issues I'm having.
The other wild cards are that I grind my teeth and I will be trying a mandibular advancement device to treat my sleep apnea after I get the cosmetic work done (if I do).
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your responses!
Cori
Veneers are subject to biting and grinding forces as you have already been told. They usually cost as much or more than a full coverage crown, and chip if you accidentally bite into something too hard or on a fork (have seen that happen more than once in the past year in our dental office.) Having said that, I can understand why you would want to restore those teeth because of the fillings and craze lines, but just realize that this isn't going to be any more of a long term fix unless you give up biting into foods and learn to stop grinding your teeth in the daytime too!
A five year study at University of Southern California (USC) showed that nearly 100% of the participants could stop grinding their teeth by wearing any sort of mouth guard for at least 60-90 minutes in the day time, while their jaw positioning brain center was awake. Wearing it at night won't ever stop that habit. I wore mine for 3-4 hours a day back in 2005, and it still took until Thanksgiving to be able to leave it out and not make my teeth sensitive in a couple weeks.
I'm a dental hygienist, not your dentist, but before I spent that much money, I would consider the mouth guard trick to stop the grinding habit. My opinion, for what it's worth. Good luck with whatever plan you decide to try!
@hellodian: I was diagnosed with MCTD based on my blood work (positive anti-RNP, twice).
My eye doctor did a Schirmer's test, which he said was negative. He said something vague about the test irritating my eyes and not meaning much, so I take the diagnosis with a grain of salt. Since my MCTD diagnosis, I haven't been able to wear contacts, can't use eye drops with preservatives, use preservative-free drops every couple of hours, and have to do warm/moist compresses every few weeks. Also, I had lacrimal plugs placed for dry eyes several years before my MCTD diagnosis. I now suspect my dry eyes were an early sign of my illness.
@dryRDH - Thanks for all the info! I didn't know that veneers chip so easily. Question - are you saying that if I wear my bite guard during the day, it could stop the grinding at night? I've only worn it at night because that is when I grind.
Cori
I wear a mouth guard at night, but not because I grind my teeth. I wear it because the edges of my tongue (which is often soar from SS) rubs up between my teeth and makes it more soar. So the guard helps to soften that.
Now, DryRDH that was something I had not thought of, to add the biotene gell to the tray. That sounds like an excellent idea and I am going to try that out. It's nice to have someone from the dental world to help us out with advice and things you see in your job. Thanks for all the info you provide.
So back to your post... If having those cosmetic things done and it is something that is important to you, especially with that idea of the biotene gel in the invislign braces, it sounds like you cant lose.
Good luck with whatever you choose.