My teeth have always been my Achilles heel. They were naturally a bit yellow, and one of my front teeth was discolored and crooked thanks to a softball-to-the-face incident. As I grew older, my teeth bothered me more and more, to the point where my parents kindly paid for teeth whitening the summer before I went to college (a serious confidence-booster). When I was nineteen, I got braces to fix the crooked teeth, and was a model orthodontia patient because I wanted my braces off before I turned 21 (they came off with four days to spare).
WHITE. EYELINER.
I may have been a model ortho patient, but my braces made it hard to floss. When my braces came off, I had my first-ever cavities. It was a crappy experience, and I swore to myself that I wouldn’t get more cavities. I did a pretty good job of it, although I still had a small cavity here and there. Then I got pregnant with Madeline…Annabel…the baby I miscarried…James…and all hell really broke loose with my teeth. I’ve talked about it before, but hyperemesis reeks total havoc on your teeth. You’re malnourished and have all that stomach acid in your mouth 20+ times a day, so it makes sense that your teeth suffer. I mean, my esophagus alone will never be the same.
All the hyperemesis boards I read gave tips about protecting your teeth but I couldn’t stand any of them. EVERYTHING made me throw up: mouthwash, fluoride rinses, and especially toothbrushes…I eventually had to choose between keeping food down and my teeth. I, of course, chose to keep my food down, because that affected my babies, but I did it with the knowledge that I’d have a LOT of dental work down the line.
Well, now I’m down the line, and it’s bad. Horrifying, even. I’m embarrassed to open my mouth. I hate smiling and showing my teeth. I have cavities all over and several of my teeth are cracked and deteriorating. I know I have extenuating circumstances but I am still so, so ashamed of my teeth. I’m thankful for my long-time dentist who knows about my medical history, but he has to send me out to specialists, and while they are extremely professional, they are always…disturbed…by the state of my mouth. Luckily they’ve always had dental assistants who are well-versed on hyperemesis, but it’s still so humbling to have to explain it to every new endodontist.
Yesterday was round three in “Fix What Hyperemesis Did To My Teeth.” I brought my iPod and my extreme-relaxation music, and the dental assistant rubbed my hand during the hard parts. It sucks and is crazy-expensive. I maxed out my dental deductible in January, but I promised myself I wouldn’t die of a tooth infection this year so Mike and I have been scrimping and saving everywhere we can. It’s literally going to take years for me to fix the damage, and I’m trying to be at peace with that. Every time I go in to get more work done I remind myself – over the drill on my teeth – that these kids were worth it.
But ugh.
Kristen says:
Ugh, I’m sorry Heather. Teeth stuff is my worst thing. Hearing people mention their root canals and bridges makes me wince/cringe/die so I was reading your post through a serious pained squint. I’m a huge wuss at the dentist myself and luckily haven’t had worse to deal with than two or three standard small cavities (KNOCKING ON ALL THE WOOD IN AMERICA). But I hope your dental odyssey ends sooner than you’re anticipating and you can be happy with your teeth again. I also just wanted to say I laughed at “WHITE. EYELINER.” because I too read the article stating that it would “make your eyes appear bigger” and I too have a year’s worth of photos where I look like a weirdo with my white-rimmed eyes. Good times.
Debbie A-H says:
Ugh is right. I’m so sorry. I love my dentist, but I hate going to the dentist. And I’ve paid for many a dentist/endodontist’s children’s college tuition. I didn’t have hyperemesis, I just got the bad teeth gene. (As a kid, when we would go to the dentist, my sisters would have none, one, or two cavities. I would have 10! And I was the only one who brushed her teeth.) But you are right. Those beautiful, amazing children you birthed are worth it. Just writing really to say that I feel your pain.
Meg says:
So sorry to hear you’re dealing with this — hope things go as smoothly as possible, and you’re giant leaps closer to done with every trip to the dentist!
Sarah says:
I hear you on the teeth post hyperemesis thing. My youngest is 4 and I think we finally have most of the damage under control. To add insult to injury, my oldest suffers from severe reflux and her baby teeth are a utter mess from not being able to control it as an infant and toddler. She’s been through a lot with her mouth/throat and thus has a total fear of the dentist. The poor girl is at an age where she thinks she can just brush better to fix it and other people pass judgement on our parenting. Our only saving grace is that those baby teeth are starting to fall out. If only mommas got a new set of teeth when our baby days were over.
MG says:
I am so sorry for all of that. Although I haven’t had to experience that (but I do have a rather odd overbite) I am thankful that you share stuff like this either for people in similar situations or those of us embarrassed by other things. You are a gem.
Terri says:
I really like my dentist but I seriously have panic attacks over just going for a cleaning. I’ve had a bazillion other medical things done and nothing bugs me like the dentist. I can’t imagine what you are going through! Gives me chills! So sorry.
LaDonna O says:
I feel for you. When I was pregnant, I had the same symptoms only they never gave me a name. Just told me I had a “sensitive” stomach and it would get better. All 3 of my pregnancies were the same way. My daughter I gained a half a pound. My son a pound and a half and I miscarried my 3rd. I was like you Heather. I’m so glad you had specialists who were there for you. I am still working on my teeth. We have horrid dental insurance, but we have it so I am grateful. Still like you it is awful to open my mouth and explain.
Linn says:
This seems to be one of those crapshoot areas in life–sorry you have to endure this too, but just know that there are a lot of otherwise healthy people who are spending ungodly amounts on dental work. I had great teeth until I hit my 40s and in last few years the cost of my crowns and root canals has exceeded that of my daughter’s full orthodontia. I try to be positive that at least we live in a time when these things can be fixed and so I don’t have to walk around without the front tooth that cracked off after the root canal. But it sucks.
amourningmom says:
I am so sorry Heather! I wish it was not so hard for you. Sending you hope and hugs.
Nicole says:
That sounds awful! Lots of luck to you!!
Pattie says:
I just started experiencing sympathetic teeth pain reading that. Best of luck to you in getting your teeth fixed. I hope it goes as well and quickly as possible, and the end result will totally be worth it.
Mary says:
Ugh that’s so awful! So sorry! I hate the dentist too. Would rather go to the gyno (and I hate that too!)
Katie says:
You have my utmost sympathies. Dental work is terrible, vomiting is terrible. Having to do extra dental work due to profuse vomiting is possibly the worst.
Jeanie says:
I know all about the dental problems. I, too, was very sick with both of my kids lo so many years ago. They didn’t have a name for it, other than morning sickness, at the time. To top it off, I’ve always been terrified to go to the dentist and put it off until I absolutely had to go. I have a dentist I like now, but it’s way too late. I’ve had dentures for the last several years now. At least I can use the excuse that I’m old and had many good years with my real teeth. Good luck. I hope everything goes smoothly and quickly.
Leah says:
I feel your pain; I’ve been through some extreme dental scenarios, although all my fault because I’ve had a raging sweet tooth since earliest childhood. I found disassociation in the dental chair to be the best thing, although it doesn’t help with the money woes.
Christina says:
The dentist sees my mouth and I honestly think orders that pretty new car in his parking spot each year, our max is spent the minute the office manager walks in with her calculator, I see the gleem , and feel the pain, one day I will have that hollywood smile, one day, they may smile from me in a glass on the the bed side table but they will be pretty!!!!!
Another Amy says:
When I was 4 I had a horrific dental appointment. I guess I (00PS!) bit the doctor. He proceeded to put my hands in restraints and put a brace in my mouth to keep it open with staff holding my head still. This was 44 years ago and I still HATE going to the dentist. No wonder!
All the best with your teeth and hoping soon you feel great about your smile.
Anna says:
Ugh is right!!! I’m so sorry you have to go through all that dental work. I’m a dental hygienist and I hate getting my teeth worked on!!! Hang in there……
Annalisa says:
I never had hyperemesis, but I feel your pain. I have really, really bad genes when it comes to gums (thanks dad!). In spite of having perio-scaling every three months for over a decade (yes, our insurance has probably put a few dentist’s children and/or wives through medical/dental school), I have gum disease so bad that I am on medicated toothpaste to stave off bone loss. The irony is that I religiously floss, brush, etc. to no avail. No matter how much I clean, my dental flora just seems to breed tartar.
I never ran through my deductible in less than a month, but lemme tell you, pregnancy can affect your dental health even without hyperemesis thrown in the mix. When I was seven months pregnant with my first, I had to have an emergency root canal and crown just to save one tooth that became severely infected overnight with no early warning signs of problems. It cost about $2000, and that’s after the 60-80% the insurance covered. My regular dentist (the emergency just so happen to be on a Friday, which was her day off, so I had to go to a different orthodontist), upon being asked how in the world one of my teeth essentially almost disintegrated less than two weeks after one of the aforementioned routine perioscalings turned up absolutely no evidence of cavities, explained that just the crazy hormonal changes can affect the health of your teeth, and that’s in women who have good dental health to begin with. I never had a prayer, that is.
I am just glad I still have most of my teeth, rather than dentures.
Katie Shea Britton says:
What crappy aftershocks of hyperemesis – hang tough! My parents adopted me as an infant and I was lucky to meet my birth mother in my early 20s – the very first question she asked me was about my teeth. She’s had problems with them her whole life and it plagued her that I might be suffering from the same thing (FWIW, I didn’t inherit her dental genes and she was incredibly relieved to hear that!) Sending speedy dental visit vibes your way…
Gina says:
Just read some articles about poor dental hygiene being linked with preterm birth and miscarriage. Brush your teeth ladies, and if you lost the genetic tooth lottery visit the dentist frequently no matter how painful!
Heather says:
Thanks for the lecture, Gina.
Gina says:
I have been reading this blog for four years and that was my first comment. I guess scientists aren’t welcome here.
Heather says:
It’s not that you’re not welcome, but if you’ve been reading here for four years you should know your comment wasn’t exactly sensitive. You left a comment about dental problems causing premature birth and miscarriage on the blog of a woman who’s had both, on a post about how my terrible pregnancies have caused terrible dental issues. Can you see why I might not react positively to that?
I appreciate you reading for four years, and I hope you will leave more comments in the future!
Ginger says:
Would you mind sharing a bit more about what they’re doing for you? I had hyperemesis with all four of my kids, and my youngest is 16. Two teachers, 4 kids, little or no dental insurance all that time, and the end result is that my mouth is a disaster area. When I have gone to the dentist over the years, my first statement is, “I am not here for a lecture. I know it is bad, and I would change that if I could, but I can’t. Please don’t treat me like a child who needs to be taught how to take care of their teeth, or I will get up and walk out.” Twice, I have left after an appointment and never gone back because of the way they treated me. I’d like to know more about what they’re doing to help you so I can talk more knowledgeably when I go back….maybe then they won’t treat me as if I did all of this on purpose.
Thanks for any help/advice, and kudos to you for being so brave!!
Heather says:
I have a LOT of enamel damage from all of the stomach acid, so I have surface erosion and cavities on just about every tooth. My teeth that are farther back have deeper cavities, and several need root canals. I’m lucky that for a while I can make do with fillings, but eventually I will need crowns on most of my back teeth. I say “lucky” because crowns cost soooo much, so I will be getting one a year for the better part of a decade. I also a few teeth that are cracked from a combo of two things: erosion from the acid, and grinding my teeth. I have a mouth guard but it always – ALWAYS – made me vomit to put it in, so eventually I stopped using it.
I honestly think dental insurance is a joke. You’re better off saving the money you’d pay into it and using it for actual dental work. I’m so sorry you have the same problems I do, but it makes me feel a bit better to hear someone else had the same experience with HG/teeth. If you have any more questions, let me know! Good luck! xo
J says:
Is tooth mousse a “thing” in the USA? I have bit of damage to my teeth from grinding, playing saxophone (!) and I suspect some damage was done during my pregnancy as well. I went to one dentist who made me feel AWFUL and told me I needed about 11 fillings! I nearly died. Luckily I tried another dentist, who said that the first dentist had been referring to tiny chips/ damage on my teeth mainly from grinding, and tooth mousse has really helped with remineralising/ preventing further damage. My wisdom teeth post-baby were an utter mess, and had to come out, but otherwise I was pretty lucky. On a side note I have to say I feel so lucky to be living in Australia; dental care isn’t really covered by our public healthcare system but private health insurance does mean that the out of pockets aren’t too outrageous. I also have a really weird wiring of my nerves apparently, and local wears off INCREDIBLY quickly or fails completely. When I had my wisdom teeth out (in the chair, to save money), the oral surgeon was gobsmacked by how much local he had to use. At least 16 injections. And no gas. Awful.
Good luck ladies, and Heather, thank you for sharing. I was SO embarrassed about my teeth (and they’re not even that bad!) and was terrified about going back to the dentist post baby. Now I’m religious about 6 monthly checkups. Good luck and I hope that it all goes well for you xx
Heather says:
I’ve never heard of tooth mousse but now I’m curious and will ask my dentist about it. I’m very similar with local anesthetic! I need far more than normal and it wears off very quickly.
Tessa says:
I have read that a gene for red hair is linked to an insensitivity to local anaesthetic. Found that out the hard way!
Anna says:
Ginger-
I am a dental hygienist and you should never be treated like that!!! It was right of you to not go back to those offices. That is so unprofessional of them to make you feel that you did this to yourself. I’m so sorry that both of you have to deal with all these dental issues.
Heather-
You could not of prevented any of this. With the amount of vomiting you did during your pregnancy your teeth had no chance. Good luck!!! I hope you have a nice dentist.
Anna
Barb says:
Wow! Mouth guards make me vomit too, I thought I was the only one. People looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned it. I also have had cracked teeth from grinding. I’ve tried many different mouth guards, including the $$$ one from my dentist. Have you tried Plackers (they’re disposal – wear it for a week and toss). In Michigan we can buy them in any drugstore. Honestly, it was the only guard I could tolerate and fall asleep with; albeit it would still end up somewhere in the sheets at some point in the middle of the night. The thinness of the guard made it doable for me. After 1 1/2 yrs I stopped grinding. Google it, who knows maybe it will work for you. Good luck!
Heather says:
Oh wow! I will totally look for these! My grinding has gotten a LOT better in the last year, I am lucky. Even so, I don’t want to take any chances now that I’m spending so much on my mouth. Thank you so much for the tip, Barb!
Christina says:
Will you need any dental implants? I have needed a few (poor dental hygiene and too much sugar in my childhood/teens… it $UCKS paying for something you did 10+ years ago when you’re now 30). I was pretty nervous/scared about that but it all worked out really great and I’m glad I got them. I hope all goes well. Root canals are NO fun. I have had a few of those too. They became no big deal after the 3rd within a year.
Heather says:
As of now, no. I’m really hopeful that we’ve caught the worst ones and root canals/crowns will do it. I know they are a possibility down the line but for now…keeping fingers crossed I won’t need them any time soon.