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← Return to Dental Cavities on Prednisone
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I would be the first to admit that I don't know anything about it. My dentist didn't know what changed but I had an increase in cavities when I was on Prednisone. My dentist was conservative when it came to fillings so she would commonly put a "watch" on potential problems.
Those things she put a watch on turned into cavities rather quickly. The solution was more frequent visits and cleanings---every 3 months. My dentist got my dental insurance to approve frequent visits because of medical reasons.
I don't think I had "new cavities" very often but frequent revisions of old fillings that "leaked." I got the impression it was the tooth structure around the fillings that was the problem.
In any case, my dentist wondered if Prednisone was causing my problems. My dentist thought prednisone could affect the oral environment, which likely contributed to changes in my mouth's biome and a dry mouth.
What is your take on the following research? I don't know if it is credible or not.
https://juniperpublishers.com/adoh/ADOH.MS.ID.555801.php
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I suspect more research is needed.
Replies to "@jfannarbor I would be the first to admit that I don't know anything about it. My..."
@dadcue - how did your dentist make that request for your dental insurance to approve frequent visits because of medical reasons? What should we tell our dentist to accomplish this?
@dadcue I hope that your dentist told you which teeth she was watching so you could pay more attention in cleaning those teeth. I am amazed how many people I come in contact with who see their dentist on a regular bases and every visit there are teeth to fill. Dental caries is a preventable disease as is periodontal disease. Dental caries in not like cancer. Caries can arrest and never progress if your oral hygiene removes all the carbohydrates that feed the bacteria that cause decay. I conducted a randomized clinical study that looked at treating questionable carious lesion and there was no benefit in treating questionable carious lesion prior to those lesion becoming clearly carious. The size of the resultant cavity preparation was not different between early treatment (questionable) and later treatment (unquestionable caries). If you are interested in the articles search PubMed with Author Hamilton JC and any field dentistry.
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@dadcue This research article related to alveolar bone (the bone that holes the teeth in place) and periodontal disease (gum disease or lost of bone around teeth that is a leading cause of tooth loss in older individuals). I can understand how prednisone can influence these oral problems. My response related to tooth decay. I am now trying to figure out how prednisone used to treat PMR could influence tooth decay. My only thought now relates to generalized pain, and the pain in the shoulder girdle area could possible affect the ability or desire to maintain good oral hygiene. I am now going to use PubMed to see if there are any articles relating to prednisone and tooth decay. More later.