Let’s backtrack a bit.
I was into my twenties before I had my first cavity. It was around the same time that I had significant restoration work done on my top six teeth. After an excessive nail-biting habit in my younger years, my top front teeth needed to be built up a bit. After the work was done, I had a new smile and took really, really good care of it. Fast forward to my early thirties when I took the Depo shot twice. I’ve frankly had nothing but problems with my teeth, since. From then to now and I’m assuming for the rest of my life at this point, both regular trips to the dentist for repairs and dental emergencies is my reality. I know without a doubt that it’s all because of Depo. I’ve literally spent thousands of dollars keeping my teeth up. Since taking the poison know as Depo, I’ve lost a tooth, had a few root canals and my teeth are almost entirely all filing and bonding. Honestly, it feels like I’ll be lucky to have my own teeth by the time I reach my 50th birthday. Nice teeth are important to me so I really struggle with this. What Colgate Says About Depo & Dental Health “A study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that women who have used the injectable progesterone contraception depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) are likely to have or develop poor gingival and periodontal health… progesterone hormones in contraceptives are linked to increased inflammation, causing periodontal tissue breakdown, plaque build-up, and gingival enlargement.” Borrowed from the Colgate website, post titled “Birth Control Side Effects and Oral Health” Here's the link: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/adult-oral-care/birth-control-side-effects-oral-health# Wondering how a contraceptive can cause problems with teeth? Read on. The National Library of Medicine’s article “Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Use and Periodontal Health in United States Women Ages 15-44” explains the issue between Depo use and problems with dental health as – “A suggested mechanism for DMPA's effect on periodontal tissues is that progestins, in its active form, may stimulate the synthesis of prostaglandins, thereby contributing to increased vascular permeability within the chronically inflamed periodontium. Other possibility is that progestins may promote tissue catabolism possibly resulting in increased periodontal attachment loss. Because DMPA, suppresses estradiol concentrations, and estrogen deprivation has been associated with tooth loss, alveolar bone loss, and periodontal attachment loss, there is a possibility that the drug could adversely affect the periodontal structures.” Doesn't sound good, does it? Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704052/ Ultimately, this is a known issue with the Depo shot and yet another effect that wasn’t discussed prior to use. The correlation has yet to be recognized by both my family doctor and my dentist. How can they not know? *long-winded sigh Have you experienced problems with your teeth after Depo too? Leave a comment below about your experience. ____________________ Update: Within an hour of posting this, I have another dental emergency on my hands... another broken tooth!! Almost half of a back molar just gone. *long-winded sigh, I guess to my point.
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AUTHORTraci Johnstone ARCHIVES
July 2023
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