Going to the dentist

Yesterday I went to the dentist for a cleaning. The hygienist asked if anything with my health had changed since my last visit so I told her I had been diagnosed with Sjogren’s. She asked how to spell that and then asked what is Sjogren’s. WHAT?! I was a bit shocked. So I explained to her what Sjogren’s is and then she said oh, she had heard of that. Isn’t that something that they should know a lot about? Has anyone else run into this at the dentist office?

You will find this to be a common reaction unfortunately. Several months ago I had to do physical therapy and the therapist said that she remembered it as only dry mouth. At least she knew the name. Then, this week I was in the hospital and I had to repeat the name several times and spell it for nursing staff who didn’t seem to have a clue.



Hopefully awareness will change this and it is up to us to help people be more aware. Good job doing that with your dentist.

One of the dentists in my practice had done research on sjogren’s so she is pretty knowledgable. I haven’t had any major side effects yet.

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement. I hope you’re doing better now after being in the hospital.



Cassi440 said:

You will find this to be a common reaction unfortunately. Several months ago I had to do physical therapy and the therapist said that she remembered it as only dry mouth. At least she knew the name. Then, this week I was in the hospital and I had to repeat the name several times and spell it for nursing staff who didn’t seem to have a clue.


Hopefully awareness will change this and it is up to us to help people be more aware. Good job doing that with your dentist.

That’s a good thought. I didn’t think to take a pamphlet to the dentist because I just assumed they would know what Sjogren’s was. But…you know what they say about assuming. I didn’t print out a lot of information and took it to my primary doctor however. She didn’t seem to act like Sjogren’s was a big deal. I hope she reads it and studies up on it a bit more so she knows it can be a very big deal.



Jude said:

I haven’t been to my dentist since I got diagnosed, so I’ll be interested to see if they know what Sjogren’s is. I hope so.

I am going to take one of the pamphlets with me that explains all about it just in case. But I should think dentists should know what it is!

As I posted before following my second appointment since diagnosis, my dentist and even his assistant/hygienist were very knowledgeable about the illness and he put a flouride varnish onto my teeth (something they use with children) and told me to brush and floss and rinse wit ACT every time I eat somethng. My new WaterPik should be arriving today and I also want to try oil pulling ...This DANGED DISEASE WON'T HAVE A CHANCE in my sparkling mouth.

Dear Sick & Tired, Most dentist don't much about the disease, but you can educate them. My dentist even called a former professor that filled him on a lot about the syndrome. There are ALOT of doctors who don't know much about our condition. I always take recent articles from the Mayo clinic when I go. The last time I went to the dentist after only 6 months I had 21 cavities and needed 2 root canals! Hang in there, we're all here to help you!

I am realizing I got lucky. Both the hygienist and my dentist knew exactly what Sjorgren's is and took it really seriously. So far so good for me but they each had appropriate reactions.

I’m glad to hear you haven’t had any major problems so far. I hope it stays that way for you. It’s nice you have one less Dr to have to explain this to. I have been dealing with this for years but only diagnosed a couple months ago. I had never heard of Sjogren’s before but have been dumb founded as to how little is known about it in the medical field. Hang on to your dentist.



Stoney said:

One of the dentists in my practice had done research on sjogren’s so she is pretty knowledgable. I haven’t had any major side effects yet.

Thank you! I’m learning with only being diagnosed a couple months ago how much I need to educate others. I’ve just been surprised by the people I thought would/should know about it.



Nana times 10!! said:

Dear Sick & Tired, Most dentist don’t much about the disease, but you can educate them. My dentist even called a former professor that filled him on a lot about the syndrome. There are ALOT of doctors who don’t know much about our condition. I always take recent articles from the Mayo clinic when I go. The last time I went to the dentist after only 6 months I had 21 cavities and needed 2 root canals! Hang in there, we’re all here to help you!

I’m so glad that part of your health care has been well taken care of. Hold on to them.



EnjoyLife said:

I am realizing I got lucky. Both the hygienist and my dentist knew exactly what Sjorgren’s is and took it really seriously. So far so good for me but they each had appropriate reactions.

I just wanted to say that I got my WaterPik yesterday. I had just eaten a bowl of cereal and was setting it up. I wanted to brush my teeth but my husband was hogging the bathroom....so instead I just tried the irrigation (also I found out I had to let the toothbrush charge first)..just using the irrigator on a "Frosted Flakes" covered mouth left my teeth feeling like I'd just let the dentist's chair!! I can't wait til I finish breakfast today to try the tooth brush and then the irrigator. I am interested in the oil pulling but I wonder if do that in addition to the WaterPik is too much. What do you think?

Glad you got and used the Waterpick! Don’t forget, you still need to floss.

Misc. thoughts on my mind this morning.

  1. I think I mentioned this before, but wanted to mention it again. I usually floss in front of a 15x magnification make up mirror. The kind that freaks you out cause it looks like your pores are too big ! LoL! You can really see any hidden stuff between the teeth and you don’t have to wear your glasses.

  2. I leave my elec. toothbrush in the bathroom. I have thought of moving it in the bedroom. Have heard it is dirty in the BR. So, every morning, I rinse out my toothbrush with peroxide. I change the head at the first sign of wear.

  3. Saw on facebook today that aloe is good for bad breath. I think dry mouth causes this and although rare, I think I have had bad breath. Lately, I drink a aloe drink to help my upset tummy and I do suspect it is helping my dry mouth a tiny bit.

    Treats bad breath



    "Bad breath, or halitosis, is a common medical condition that affects an estimated 1 in 4 people on a regular basis. Though commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes can help treat it, their aggressive and unnatural ingredients often leave a lot to be desired. Instead, consider aloe vera. Aside from being a potent antibacterial, aloe contains an anti-inflammatory compound named beta-Sisterol that is known to soothe acid indigestion, which (along with oral bacteria) is a common cause of bad breath.



    Though aloe vera does work alone as a mouthwash and toothpaste, mixing it with baking soda seems to have a particularly powerful effect. Aloe vera oil can also be used for oil pulling, the ancient Ayurvedic practice of cleansing the mouth by swishing oil around it for between 15 and 20 minutes.
    "




    PS I don’t know anything about oil pulling

  4. When traveling, I rinse my mouth out daily with baking soda and water. Gargle with a little too. This is part of my routine to stop sinus infections. It has helped a lot. When not traveling, I still do it several times a week.

I'm so glad you reminded me about aloe. Several years ago (ten to be exact) I had a patch of them in my backyard. I used it for everything: sunburn, constipation, upset stomach. You wouldn't believe how aloe takes the sting and the red out of a sunburn. I don't find that Aloe works very well in the processed kind. The fresh stuff is amazing. I think I will go out and buy a plant.

In addition, been going to the dentist since March. Lotsa cavities, teeth needing to be pulled. The first time my dentist saw me she said that she has a cousin with Sjogrens. After a few visits she said that I reminded her that she needs to get in touch with her cousin and see how he's doing. H m m m m !?



Nomad said:

Glad you got and used the Waterpick! Don't forget, you still need to floss.
Misc. thoughts on my mind this morning.
1. I think I mentioned this before, but wanted to mention it again. I usually floss in front of a 15x magnification make up mirror. The kind that freaks you out cause it looks like your pores are too big ! LoL! You can really see any hidden stuff between the teeth and you don't have to wear your glasses.
2. I leave my elec. toothbrush in the bathroom. I have thought of moving it in the bedroom. Have heard it is dirty in the BR. So, every morning, I rinse out my toothbrush with peroxide. I change the head at the first sign of wear.
3. Saw on facebook today that aloe is good for bad breath. I think dry mouth causes this and although rare, I think I have had bad breath. Lately, I drink a aloe drink to help my upset tummy and I do suspect it is helping my dry mouth a tiny bit.
Treats bad breath

"Bad breath, or halitosis, is a common medical condition that affects an estimated 1 in 4 people on a regular basis. Though commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes can help treat it, their aggressive and unnatural ingredients often leave a lot to be desired. Instead, consider aloe vera. Aside from being a potent antibacterial, aloe contains an anti-inflammatory compound named beta-Sisterol that is known to soothe acid indigestion, which (along with oral bacteria) is a common cause of bad breath.

Though aloe vera does work alone as a mouthwash and toothpaste, mixing it with baking soda seems to have a particularly powerful effect. Aloe vera oil can also be used for oil pulling, the ancient Ayurvedic practice of cleansing the mouth by swishing oil around it for between 15 and 20 minutes.
"

PS I don't know anything about oil pulling

4. When traveling, I rinse my mouth out daily with baking soda and water. Gargle with a little too. This is part of my routine to stop sinus infections. It has helped a lot. When not traveling, I still do it several times a week.

Let us know if you find out how to make aloe juice fresh and safely.

I buy Aloe Gloe mostly. It’s probably the only one that is low sugar. Sometimes I’ll get one that seems to have more aloe in it (but more sugar) and mix it with Aloe Gloe; trying to compromise. It soothes my stomach and us refreshing.