Hi fayemouse, yes osteoporosis is usually found in the jaw bone as we age.  Most dentist will take x-rays of your jaw and can tell you if you've lost bone already.  However, bone loss found via x-rays is not the best way to diagnose this because you usually have 30% bone loss before it will show up on a coventional x-ray.

I would ask you dentist if you can have antibiotics during invasive dental procedures since this has been done before for you prophylactically.  With slow healing and infections, you'd want to make sure you heal at your optimal level during dental procedures.  If your dentist doesn't want to prescribe antibiotics, could you discuss this with your primary care doctor to see if he/she will prescribe it.

If you have bone loss in the jaw your teeth can become loose.  However, this usually occurs in addition to periodontal disease, but not always, and they often check this on routine visits to the dentist.

See what you can find out about the antibiotics with both the dentist and your general practioner.  I don't see any reason why they wouldn't prescribe this, if you need it, unless there's some problem with allergies to antibiotics.  You can also ask for the oral rinse antibiotics that are used for a short time after a invasive procedure as well.

I always take antibiotics with dental work, but that is due to a heart valve problem (mitral prolapse) so I'm used to taking these "everytime" I have any work done.  Do the antibiotics cause any further problem with your stomach issues?  If so, maybe that is why they are hesitant, but still look into it further.

Good luck with this and I hope you can get it straightened out.

Fayemouse

6/14/11 6:11pm

Dear Pam,

Thankyou so much.  I appreciate your reply which is very helpful and encouraging.  I shall certainly enquire about an antibiotic rinse which is not offered as routine.   A

Our National Insititute of Clinical Excellence, known as NICE (FDA equivalent) has issued Guidelines that anti-biotics are no longer to be used as a prophylactic in dental practice .  Although this is not a mandate as such, no dental practitioner (or indeed general medical  practitioner) likes to go against the Guidelines.   Until this point I had been provided with Amoxycillin to cover 'invasive' techniques, by my previous dentist who understood my condition.   He has now retired.      I do, indeed, wish to heal at my optimal level, and will follow up your advice on checking for bone loss in the gums.    Some antibiotics do cause problems for me but Amoxicillin has always been one of the antibiotics I can take - expecially in the one-off prophylactic sachet preparation.  I quite understand why this situation has arisen and the reasons for reducing antibiotic use wherever possible.  However, I'm sure there is room for occasions when practitioners can use their own judgement.    I needed to know that  there could be bone loss from osteoporosis as well as gum disease and that, if that bone loss is there in my case, that could make me more vulnerable along with my general health condition.    Thankyou again for taking the time.   Best Wishes,  Fayemouse  

Pam Flores, Health Guide

6/14/11 7:09pm

Hi Fayemouse, You're very welcome and glad you could join us!  I understand the guidelines you must follow, but it does seem harsh to deny antibiotics, if they are needed.  I hope you can get someone to agree with you.  I also agree with your following statement:

 

"However, I'm sure there is room for occasions when practitioners can use their own judgement."  I just hope that this will be one occasion where you can take this, since it does seem like it's medically necessary, and not an unnecessary use of an antibiotic.

 

Best of luck to you!