Multiple Sclerosis is an obstruction in the nervous system that assaults the spinal cord and your brain. If you have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, referred to as MS, your immune system begins to attack the myelin sheath that protects all the nerve fibers in your spinal cord, resulting in improper communication between your brain and the body. This leads to both physical disability and also permanent damage to the nervous system. Multiple sclerosis will often lead to partial or even full paralysis. Symptoms will vary and depend most often on the amount of nerve damage and then the specific nerves that have been affected. Common symptoms include the lack of control or simple coordination of the muscles, the loss of balance or memory loss, and specific localized feelings of weakness or numbness. You may face significant disability, or you could experience long asymptomatic periods. There is presently no cure available for multiple sclerosis, but some treatments will help you manage your MS symptoms and diminish the severity of the disease.
Dental Problems if You have Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis is a disorder with a variety of dental health complications. A frequent one is the weakening and loss of muscle control. This medical disorder will make it difficult for you to perform proper dental hygiene habits like brushing and flossing. The resulting poor dental hygiene will result in bacteria attacking the teeth’s defenses.
Multiple Sclerosis patients quite often find it difficult to remain relaxed at a dental appointment, which results in prolonged examinations and dental procedures. Your dentist is challenged to keep your appointment as short as possible, to stay ahead of your stress, fatigue, and muscle spasms.
A primary symptom of multiple sclerosis is inflammation, which is a natural body defense effort generated by your immune system. Gum disease is also inflammatory, and the inflammation from the gum disease will now trigger systemic inflammation, creating more MS flare-ups. These flare-ups will increase inflammation in your gum tissue, in a continued vicious cycle that deteriorates your immune system and destroys gum tissue. Preventative dental care is extremely important if you have multiple sclerosis. Proper dental hygiene and any home oral care are significant challenges every day. You may also experience difficulty with swallowing, using your tongue, and even producing saliva. All of these problems will adversely affect the health of your teeth, gums, and mouth. Medications prescribed to treat MS will create a condition called xerostomia, which is excessive dryness in your mouth, and also stimulates the growth of cavities and gum disease. Deliberate hydration helps prevent the problems caused by xerostomia, as well as some salivary substitutes and fluoride treatments. Some MS medications can also cause oral ulcers, which will make brushing or flossing even more painful. Your dentist may also recommend some brushing and flossing aids, which are available over the counter, or they might recommend some help with your home care. If you have multiple sclerosis, you may find it helpful to brush your teeth sitting down, to slow down your muscle fatigue. Same with flossing.
The Effects of Multiple Sclerosis on the Dental Implant Procedure
Consistent frequent dental care is important if you have multiple sclerosis. You should visit your dentist at least twice a year, if not more. When you have multiple sclerosis there are a number of factors to consider. Depending on the severity of your MS disease, you may require shorter dental appointments, preferably in the morning when you are well-rested, to minimize muscle spasms and any uncomfortable symptoms. When a longer appointment is necessary, frequent breaks will be necessary, such as 5-to-10-minute breaks every thirty minutes. If you have MS you might need to sit at a 45-degree angle, keeping your airway open, because MS patients can also develop respiratory problems with their breathing muscles. It may also be painful or stressful for you to keep your mouth open for an extended period, and a mouth prop may be used to help keep your mouth open.
If you have multiple sclerosis, you could find it difficult identifying the specific location of your discomfort or pain, which will make an accurate diagnosis more challenging. Your dentist will take great care and use all available resources before recommending more invasive procedures such as a dental implant. If you have multiple sclerosis, you could also develop a pain in your face, known as trigeminal neuralgia, or even a temporary numbness in your face, jaw, and teeth. Multiple sclerosis can result in partial or even total paralysis of your face, which complicates dental procedures. If you have advanced multiple sclerosis and are in a wheelchair, this adds another concern about access.
Dental Implants Versus Dentures for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
When tooth decay and gum disease develop from multiple sclerosis, causing your teeth to fall out or need to be extracted, the kinds of dental restorations will now come with their own set of challenges. Removable traditional dentures might be problematic for you if you have multiple sclerosis. Xerostomia can make it difficult to wear removable dentures and can affect your ability to eat or to talk, and your symptoms of multiple sclerosis can make it difficult to even remove and insert the dentures. Muscle spasms can make removable dentures difficult to wear, and with even more severe cases of MS, removable dentures can be dangerous. If you have swallowing difficulties from your multiple sclerosis, a bulky removable denture will magnify those difficulties and result in choking or an inability to eat. If you have multiple sclerosis, dental implants may be immensely helpful, because they will support the denture and negate any slipping or dislodging, and they will not interfere with your ability to normally talk or to swallow. If you have multiple sclerosis, you could receive the placement of dental implants with no significant issues. Certain medications could interfere with the healing of your gums and jawbone, so be sure to tell your dentist your complete and entire medical history in the event you are considering a dental restoration treatment with dental implants.