A question about dental issues following GS

Hello all,

I am a new member here, and I hope this website will help me to learn more about gastric bypass surgery and what to expect following the surgery. I am in the early preparatory phase prior to surgery. I'll meet with the nutritionist next month, and the surgeon in August; other appointments with the psychologist, etc. haven't been scheduled yet. Even though my hospital (Cleveland Clinic) has already contacted my insurance and been told that they will cover the surgery, due to my diabetes and comorbidities, I'm still really on the fence about having this surgery. Part of me is kind of repulsed by the "mutilating" aspect of this surgery, for lack of a better term (it's just such a drastic measure, you know?). But beyond that, I've been on other websites that have a lot of bariatric patients complaining about some pretty severe dental issues that crop up several years following surgery, and in some cases, osteoporosis as well.

I know that with any surgery, there are possible complications that can occur, and I've been scaring myself silly reading about gallstones / gallbladder removal; dumping syndrome, nausea, vomiting, lactose intolerance, other food intolerances, "swamp gas" / extreme farting, and every other issue associated with this surgery. I guess for me, the positives are a given and don't need a lot of explanation--I get them full well. But if I'm going to elect this surgery, I have to go into it knowing the negatives as well. And right now, the biggest negative I can think of is experience the dental issues I've heard about on other forums.

Have any of you experienced an increase in cavities, loss of bone leading to loose / lost teeth, root canals to save teeth, or the need for tooth extractions and dentures? I've read a few possible explanations for these dental problems as a result of the surgery, but not a lot of advice on how they might be avoided. Also, it seems that dentists are generally in agreement that bariatric surgery causes an increase in dental issues (sometimes severe), but medical doctors don't seem to give it much notice. I have noticed that on the bariatric team at the Cleveland Clinic, there is a fair assortment of medical personnel who act as a team to prepare you for surgery and treat you follow-up, but dentists are not among them.

Anyway, I'm glad to meet you all and I hope to connect with this forum more as I learn more about this surgery.

Welcome! I'm only 4 months post-op, so I'm probably not much help, but I've been a poster here now for around a year or so. I honestly haven't seen too many people posting about dental issues BUT that's not saying it doesn't exist. Might be worth putting in the search bar to see if anyone has posted about it.

As far as I can see, those dental and bone density issues may stem from neglecting or not taking enough supplements and vitamins (calcium, namely) or even just not staying on top of labwork and noticing downward trends (and thus correcting your vitamin regimine****il it's too late. Unfortunately, I have seen a lot of posts about people experiencing any number of issues BECAUSE THEY STOPPED TAKING VITAMINS. Which is 100% preventable.

Thank you for the reply! I teach English at a local university and I love your screen name. :^)

Yes, some of the posts I've read on other sites have mentioned the importance of taking calcium citrate over calcium carbonate, and the importance of taking vitamins and minerals and keeping up on your labs. I guess the posts that concern me the most are those that swear they've been taking everything as prescribed, have normal labs, and are still experiencing dental and bone problems.

I know that some folks can make excuses for themselves and aren't as honest as they could be when writing about their medical issues, not wanting to admit that maybe they had a part to play in it all. I've done that myself for most of my life when it's come to my weight problem. But I'm used to discerning between truth and BS in all the student writing I read (and the three boys I raised!), and I'll tell ya, a lot of the posts I've read concerning these dental issues seem awfully sincere (and absolutely miserable, due to their teeth issues).

REMINDER: Don't take iron and calcium together, as well as thyroid medication, as they will interfere with each other. Ideally, find a multi that does not contain iron, and take your iron and calcium citrate separate (2-4 hours apart) to ensure maximum absorption.

I taught English at the high school level :) I don't anymore, but I have a ton of respect for teachers. Kudos!

I'm just about 5 years out from my RNY and I have regular dental checkups every six months. I haven't had any changes to my dental health so far. Some people win the genetic lottery with their teeth and some lose badly, no matter what they do. If you're very concerned, have a thorough check up before surgery with full X-rays so you have a baseline. You must keep up on your supplements, though.

Jen

Thanks for the reply, Jenorama! Yeah, I know what you mean about the genetic lottery. I have three grown sons, and two of them inherited their dad's softer teeth. Both of them ended up getting dentures by the time they were in their mid thirties. Seeing all they went through is one of the reasons I'm so scared of that type of thing happening to me; they both suffered so much during their twenties due to almost constant problems with their teeth. But on the other hand, I am one of those lucky people who have never had many problems with their teeth. I didn't develop my first cavity until I was 20 years old, during my first pregnancy. And any cavities I later developed happened during my childbearing years. I've been told that pregnancy can drain some of the calcium from your teeth, which makes me wonder all the more about a possible calcium / mineral drain developing after bariatric surgery.

It just seems so weird that some bariatric websites have a lot of people talking about this issue, while other websites don't. That's why it's all a bit confusing for me right now.

I take very good care of my teeth, including getting them cleaned every 3-4 months and flossing at least once a day. I had MGB surgery more than 14 months ago (so not that long ago), and have had no changes to my dental health. I have not experienced any bone loss, new cavities, or required any crowns or root canals. I've spoken to my dentist about any increased risks for dental issues post-wls and he said that he doesn't see it in his practice; however, his practice is in a major city with a majority of patients that have dental insurance and who keep up with home care & office visits.

If you don't currently have good oral hygiene habits then you should start right away to mitigate risks later. And this is true regardless of WLS or not.

Welcome New Member, JustMe1960. Since WLS, my only dental issue was having the first chew of a fiber gummie yank a dental crown off. Between the supplements and better food choices, I would guess my teeth are benefiting from having an overall better lifestyle. Endnote: for people like me, the fear of complications from diabetes turns the on-the-fence decision whether to have surgery or not into a giant leap of faith off that fence.

Thank you!