Been referred to a cranial facial Doctor
As seen in the topic I am going through some terrible pain in my mouth. I know that rheumatoid arthritis can cause problems with your teeth I saw an endodontist and he said there was nothing he could do for me and said I had spontaneous upper anterior pain.
I’m going to get a second opinion but I was just wondering if anyone out there with bad rheumatoid arthritis has experienced problems in their mouth and pain in their mouth teeth&gums?
I am kind of at a loss right now and don’t know which way to turn so if anyone has any insight I would greatly appreciate it.
, first off, I am so sorry you are in pain! I have a pretty pain threshold, but when it comes to dental stuff, I am a complete wimp!
Dental/jaw issues are actually not all that unusual when it comes to RA. That said, it can sometimes be a challenge to find a specialist who understands the link between RA and jaw/dental problems. Here is one article on the TMJ/TMD and RA that I thought you might find interesting -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/jaw-pain-tmd.
And here is some information on teeth issues caused by secondary conditions (Sjorgren's) -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/oral-issues-with-ra. And here's some information on protecting your oral health -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/oral-hygiene-protect-yourself-against-periodontal-disease. Pardon the information overload, but as you can see, dental problems are pretty common with RA! You're definitely NOT alone in this! There are even more articles on these topics on this site as well. I hope the second opinion is fruitful for you! I hope he/she is able to offer you some insight and treatment options.
Good luck and please do come back and update us after your appointment, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.hi Erin,
I don’t know if I should see a neurologist or a cranial facial doctor. Can you give me your opinion on this issue?, it really depends on the knowledge of the physician or specialist. We have community members that have been unofficially diagnosed with RA by their eye doctor! If a specialist is knowledgeable, that seems to make the difference. Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.
I looked in several locations and I did not find articles that addressed the issue you describe directly. The best I found are two nonauthoritative articles that generally address mouth pain and RA. I am sorry I am not more help. This is the first one and is from a private dentist practice:
https://www.grant-moanadental.com/arthritis-symptoms-that-affect-the-mouth-and-jaws
The second reference I found is on CreekyJoints which is where I first heard of this issue. This is also not authoritative. But interesting information
https://creakyjoints.org/comorbid-conditions/inflammatory-arthritis-oral-health/
So sorry you're having to deal with this. I haven't had this problem but a friend who, years ago, had been treated for autoimmune Anti-Jo-1, and later was diagnosed with osteoporosis, and treated accordingly....ultimately came down with many jaw problems. She went to multiple dentists and finally was referred to an MD and DDS [Maxillofacial surgeon] affiliated with the UCLA School of Medicine. It took many months, but ultimately he was able to fix her crumbling jaw and teeth [which was the result of some of the drugs used to treat the medical issues she had].
I mention this because this is the best type of specialist to handle such cases. Be sure to make a list of all meds used in the last two years.
Good luck!
