I’m concerned because my pockets are getting deeper. Especially my two lower front teeth
I started rapamycin 6+ months ago & have had two dental checkups since then. In the one I had yesterday, the hygienist checked a pocket they say they are watching because it is deep & said that it has gone from 9 to 8 – so the right direction anyway.
The reason for thinking there is a connection is because there have been studies showing that tooth health gets better in mice with rapamycin.
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Yes, granted we are all different phenotypes, but in my past 2 check ups 6 months apart… my dentist is amazed at my healthy gums ar 64 years. No age deterioration. Says I have the teeth and mouth of someone 28 years.
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He also says that genetically my family has amazing spit our spit is more antibacterial … really???which is why me, my kids ,my mother ,my grandmother all have perfect teeth with no cavities.
So I guess you could say we have dog spit… lol… with healing properties.
All of Matt Kaeberlein studies in mice and dogs… show gum improvement… he is doing a funded clinical trial on it with humans right now. Maybe you could join it?
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Good genes trump everything…
Yes, the saliva/oral health association is real, my dentist has told me same.
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For eroded enamel, you can have crowns placed. If you have general wear, you can actually have your whole mouth done, or one arch. And in Mexico it can cost less than half of what it does in the US. But you want to make sure you’re going to a reputable place. Cancun is a popular destination for this. For best results, people with crooked teeth or bite issues can have Invisalign or braces first.
With regard to gums, follow the advice of your dentist and hygienist. Some people miss the gum line when they brush and floss. Other people are too aggressive at the gum line. And sometimes it’s really no fault of the patient. They should be able to see what’s contributing to your problem. And it may benefit some people to change from manual to electric brushing. Waterpik flossers may be helpful to remove more plaque and debris from pockets. But what’s called “deep cleaning” at the dentist’s office is essential (scaling and root planing).
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The first thing you should ask is - what you may be doing that contributes to this first, assuming you’ve already ruled out genetics or abnormal tooth positioning.
Assuming you are not the cause, you could look into soft tissue graft surgery. They just take some from the roof of your mouth, then patch it - which could prevent further recession.
There are some ways to prevent further loss of enamel particularly if you eat a lot of acidic foods which it seems you do. I drink green tea (not extract!) frequently which is slightly basic with polyphenols, as I have xerostomia from Focalin XR so I have to sip all day. I personally use a custom experimental treatment to restore enamel which appears to work so far. My dentist was surprised at the changes so far! He originally thought regeneration of enamel was impossible.
I am not a dentist, do not rely. This is not medical or dental advice. Speak with your dentist.
I am curious as to what is in the experimental treatment.
Working on that right now - I have a few patents in the pipeline to file. All I can say for now is it involves ameloblast-like cells.
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FWIW
Three-Dimensional Culture of Ameloblast-Originated HAT-7 Cells for Functional Modeling of Defective Tooth Enamel Formation
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Cool! Best of luck with the process!
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I’ve had success with improving gums with a 60 day, one a day doxycycline.
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Gum recession can be from bruxism. The bone will recede slightly along with the gums to allow more movement of the teeth. It’s not necessarily a problem if the pocket depths (distance between gum line and bone level) remain 3 mm or less. The problem is when the bone recedes and not the gums. This is more hygiene related with a strong genetic predisposition and increased age. This results in pockets which your hygienist will measure. These pockets trap debris and cause inflammation which swells the gums and destroys the bone further deepening the pockets. Pockets can be reduced by reducing the inflammation of the gums but as of right now the bone loss is permanent. The most you can reduce a pocket from reducing inflammation is 2-3mm in my experience. Sometimes surgeries are done to reduce the pocket depths by repositioning the gum line closer to the bone level. Sometimes pockets form when there is a vertical fracture in the tooth. The fracture line provides a path for the oral bacteria to travel deep into the tissues and destroy the bone. When a pocket reaches over 6 mm typically the longterm prognosis of that tooth is poor.
Tooth enamel erosion is permanent. It is from acids in the mouth which drop the ph of the saliva. These acids can come from the bacterial byproducts, from acidic foods or from the stomach regurgitation. A high sugar diet although not acidic will feed certain bacteria that produce acidic waste products that dissolve the teeth. This is why you brush your teeth. After the enamel forms during tooth development the tooth loses its potential to generate more enamel. The underlying dentin does have the capacity to increase its thickness and typically with wear and tear we see the pulp (nerve) recede and the dentin layer thicken. Older people with more wear and tear typically have very little tooth sensitivity as the nerves in their teeth have receded deep into the roots. Many times they can have dental work done without anesthetic.
The only way to replace tooth enamel is prosthetically. This is what a crown does. The remaining enamel is stripped from the tooth and a new prosthetic enamel is fabricated to cover the tooth. There are several enamel like materials that can be used including Gold, porcelain and zirconia.
Saliva is altered by the oral microbiome. It works the same as the gut microbiome. A healthy microbiome that is well fed will be a higher ph and promote remineralization of the teeth. A poor diet will drop the ph of saliva and promote demineralization of the teeth.
Hope this helps.
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Super interesting, Elizabeth! What dose regime are you currently and what brand and manufacture of rapamycin do you have?
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Gum recession has been my biggest dental issue for as long as I can remember. About 5 years ago I got an ill-fitting crown (dentist always says it is great) that leaves food stuck between 2 teeth. Ever since I have been flossing like a champion. My reports are positively glowing each visit ever since.
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Got x-rays of the crown and surroundings?
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I’m taking 5mg 1x/week with a prescription from the Amazon pharmacy. I think it’s generic rapamycin, no brand that I know of, a bunch of little pills in a bottle.
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Thanks for sharing Elizabeth! Does it not stand any brand on the bottle. Just Sirolimus? Do you have a link to the amazon page?
most generic sirolimus purchased in the US is Glenmark sirolimus I believe.
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I use Dr. Reddy. Used in clinical studies.
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