Colitis and Crohn’s disease are conditions that cause a bit of your digestive tract to become inflamed. This is something that impacts not just the gut, but also the mouth and colon.
It does make you susceptible to some diseases, including gum disease. This is because of the inflammation reduction the body does, and also the possible damage the antibodies can do to the teeth.
That’s why having good oral hygiene helps with reducing the symptoms that come with this disease.
How Dentists Can Help
You should always be mindful of your oral health, telling your dentist about this condition, along with medicines that are taken, and from there, you get specifically tailored advice.
You should still make sure to brush daily for up to two minutes, and also, you should use a fluoride type of toothpaste.
You should also be mindful of the side effects of colitis and Crohn’s disease medicine, which is dry mouth. This is when the mouth is sore and dry, and it can irritate this as well. be mindful of acidic, or spicy foods, as this can further irritate it. If you do have dry mouth, talk to the dentist to find out how you can get help to treat this.
Some toothpastes have Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, which is an agent that creates frothing in the mouth. It might be astringent for those with colitis, so make sure that you’re using toothpaste that doesn’t have this. If necessary, you should also talk to a dentist or a hygienist to figure out the right toothpaste that you should use. Get one that’s high in fluoride in order to control the oral health that you have, protecting this against tooth decay. This is especially important if you have a dry mouth. Colitis and Crohn’s is something that causes mouth ulcers, which you should be mindful of.
If you do have a mouth ulcer, and within three weeks it doesn’t heal, talk to a dentist so that they’re able to look at, and manage all of this too.
Make sure to clean between the teeth every single day, using tape, floss, or interdental brushes. If the joints start to feel painful, or you have some issues with moving your floss between the teeth, consider using Water Parks to get water between the teeth to get rid of debris and plaque. Those with bad dexterity love these. The plaque that collects between the teeth does cause the risk for caries, along with gum disease and other conditions. It can also cause issues with your heart, as diabetes and cardiovascular disease also play a role in this too.
Other Risks
What a lot of people don’t know are the other risks.
Smoking for those with colitis and Crohn’s can be bad, and it might be a risk factor, or minimally exacerbating. Smoking is also bad for your oral health. This is because it causes nicotine staining.
If you do chew tobacco, you’re likely to get mouth cancer. This is why the ulcers begin to appear, which can be confused with the mouth ulcers from colitis or Crohn’s disease. If you do engage in smoking or chewing tobacco, and you start to have these ulcers form, talk to your dentist, and make sure that you keep an eye on it.
For those with Colitis or Crohn’s disease, you want to make sure that you eat a diet that’s balanced, especially for the flare-ups. Avoid anything that’s processed, and any foods or drinks that are sugary when possible.
For those with a diet high in sugar, or they vomit up when flaring, use mouthwash to get rid of possible decay.
