Oxycontin Damaged My Teeth (Page 25) (Top voted first)

Has anyone else known oxycontin to rot the teeth? I used to be on vicodin until my doctor told me I needed to switch to a morphine based meds. She put me on ms contin but I had problems with it so she put me on 80mg oxycontin. Eventually my body built up a tolerance so she kept raising it, i have am now on from 4-6 per day of the 80mg tabs. It scares me that this is what rotted my teeth because only 5 yrs ago i had only 2 cavities that needed filling and then only 1 yr after going on the oxycontin i had to have all my top front teeth pulled as they where rotting from the inside out the dentist said my mouth looked like a heroin addict's mouth looks. He said it was shocking to him that normally he only saw such damage from someone who abused drugs with so much dental damage, but i have never done any street drugs and have only take my meds as prescribed to me. Now i have lost 80% of my teeth and as a beautiful 41 yr old mother its devastating. I cant afford dentures and sure cant afford implants like i would like to have. I am a single mother and refuse to date because i have lost my teeth now, i had beautiful teeth before i started on the oxycontin and only 2 small cavities that needed filling. Does anyone else have this same problem and if so why hasn't the company making oxycontin warn patients of this possible problem?

If i had known this would cause me to lose most of my teeth i would have never agreed to go on it. Of course my family doctor who has been prescribing them tells me she hasn't heard of any other cases, yet when i researched the med online there where others like this why hasn't something been put in the warnings about this med, i sure would have preferred to have lived in pain the rest of my life rather than lose my teeth and be unable to even eat now. My health has gone downhill fast as i cant even chew foods necessary for good health. All I can eat now are yogurts, and liquid type of foods which isn't much. My kids are 7 and 9 yrs old and they watch me cry when we go out to eat and they order steak, and i can smell it but can't order one as i know i wont be able to chew it. This is so devastating for me. I want teeth so badly if i could wish for anything in life besides not to be poor anymore it would be to have a full set of real teeth or implants but i could never dream of having them, and i don't know anyone out there willing to just help me get any either. I have always helped others all my life, but cant even help myself, i have had to have 29 surgeries now since 1991 when a drunk driver hit my car and caused me major injuries with my lower back and knees, i have had a full lower back fusion and 8 arthroscopic knee surgeries until a year ago they finally had to do a full right knee replacement and now they are talking about doing my left knee soon.

So my life has been up and down with surgeries and i would go thru one more surgery just to have teeth implanted if i could. but i could never afford it, but i would like to know why these drug manufacturers are making a medication that could cause teeth to rot like this without warning us patients or even warning the doctors about it. This is just terrible of them i think, as now i am the one paying for this by having no teeth to eat with at such a young age now. I am a vibrant young 41 yr old at 5'3, 120lbs, slim woman, nice looking too as i was a model in my younger days, so i keep my looks up. But to have no teeth now... I never smile anymore, I am to ashamed to smile even though it wasn't my fault i lost my teeth. I think they should pay for me to have new teeth but no one wants to admit that the med causes it, but my diet wasn't the problem back when i started the medication and i wasn't drinking coca-cola either or doing street drugs so i know that wasn't the cause either. The only thing that changed within one year to cause this was starting the oxycontin medication. Well, if anyone out there can help me let me know thanks.

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I found that article on saliva and tooth damage very interesting. I may have some information that may help some people who have continued to take pain meds. Here goes..please take extra care of your health!! Only eat organic foods, and get informed about genetically modified foods..especially corn and soy which is in about 80% of all packaged foods.Almost all my money goes towards eating really great food. I drink a super green drink with chlorell, spirulina, and other antioxidants twice a day. I use
bottled mineral drops in my fresh spring water which probably helps my teeth also. I am not into using tons of synthetic vitamins. But I too am on pain meds and the fillers in them are more toxic than the pain meds themselves. It is upsetting to me that this is my life, but baby steps towards getting better teeth are required. Loosing 30 lbs. helped my bad knees and feet. We do have some power to make our lives better. I would be open to helping anyone who is interested in making healthstyle changes.

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i think that eating healthy food isn't the issue for me.

this medication has created the decay from inside out, not what i'm eating. i believe i don't eat that badly but i also feel it's hard to stop something, that is creating this decayed effect, when one is continually ingesting the medication!

i've stopped taking oxycontin altogether and am looking at alternatives and am waiting for an appointment at the pain clinic.

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hello bettyboop, if you scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll see numbers starting from 1 and escalating up in blue. click on page 4 and then scroll down to post 267 which is from admin and there's a link in his post, that takes you to a form, giving them permission to link people together, with their own private email address.

i hope that's simple enough for you any problems then come back with another post.

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I emailed Christine also and didn't get a response. I want to be included and missed something. Why is Christine the one to contact?

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Martin if you get help or need signatures for legal action in 8 months I had 8 teeth break at the bottom of gum line I had beautiful teeth and smile now it's a nightmare I cry a lot been to two dentists and they said they have never seen anything happen in 8 months teeth broken out precfectly at gum line now need oral surgeon and 120,000.00++++ to be able to smile it's just terrible can't no dr understand why so fast have thirteen doctors some say steroids they put me on for sarcoidosis

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I'll keep everyone posted on my progress laura. if signatures are required then I'm sure we can do something.

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yes i was reading your story and had too reply i am a 30 yr. Old male who has been on prescribed pain meds for few yrs as well for back i know how you feel i have allways been vein about my hair and my beautiful smile as girlls would tell me how they loved my eyes and smile aw 2 yrs ago had healthy teeth up untill then went for a 6 month cleaning evey 6 months brushed twice a day then boom it hit mw right after my wisdoms were pulled started decaying badly and half of them had too be pulled allready so i know how u feel i am also far from rich but saved and with the help of gf having the rest pulled in a month and dentures pulled in the same day dear all i can say is u sound alot like myself wasnt on hard drugs very clean my gf says im too clean lol but aw only take my prescribed pain meds dentist did tell me it was the pain meds that caused it i felt like i was being punished for something but for what im not a mean person have huge heart but it felt like like i had lost my best friendd when dentist said they were just going too keep decaying on my 30th bday he is telling me this and that i should go with dentures but like myself you are in alot of pain how were we supposed to know unless warned it would do our teeth like this ty for your message shows me im not alone in a fight i didnt start god bless you and from the bottom of my heart hope things get better for you

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Hi Christine, My name is Richard. I need contact info. Lost most of my teeth from using Oxycontin. I filled out contact form so I hope you or someone sends me info I need. Please help. Thank you. Sorry to hear about your illness. Hope you get well soon.

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It is caused from dry mouth, a side effect of the medication.

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Yes my name is laura and I posted on here about my teeth breaking off at gum line my two denist said they have never seen anything like this in a 8 month period my teeth were fine and within 8 months they were broke at gum line they don't understand but I do have insurance which will not pay for implants and I can't afford them I get $1500.00 a year dental but my lung and heart dr told oral surgeon Ihe would have to extract broken teeth in the hospital and health insurance will pay that bill if done at hospital never able to smile anymore ;((

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Hi
I am 48 yrs old and have been taking only 30mg a day however have been taking them for around 5 yrs now
I have always had great teeth, I only have one filling
Over the past week or so I have found that my teeth have been hurting and brushing and.sweet things are bad.
well what freaks me out is that I have realised all my top row are loose,but they still look clean and healthy
Yes I am off to the dentist

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The meds dry your mouth out which allows the bad bacteria to destroy your teeth and sugarless gum combats dry mouth so keep plenty of sugarless gum on hand to chew, unfortunately if years have passed some damage has been done and I wish I knew this trick from the get go but at least sugarless gum will prevent worse damage...

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I started taking oxycotton pills about 8 years ago when I had a on job accident I have to do that for a couple months 6 years ago I had a car accident which they put me on oxycodone and at the time I had beautiful teeth, and now 6 years later I only have a couple of teeth left in my head not one of them is good they need pulled so yes I know for a fact that these stupid pills are the damn reason of my pain and suffering and losing all my teeth, and like a couple other people I heard say on here if they would have mentioned or it would have been labeled on the bottle that it could cause rotten teeth I would have never taking a one of them, I would have found other alternatives, because the pain that I have endured for my teeth rotting and losing them and my back and neck pain that together has been overwhelming, and this all could have been prevented for me I know buy one little sticky sticker on a plastic bottle!!!!

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Hi everyone,

We hope that 2015 is off to a great start for you all! We wanted to let you know that we have recently been in contact with Christine and sadly she is facing medical challenges at the moment. She wanted us to ask if there is anybody else in this thread that might be able to take on what she was doing.

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I just want to tell everyone who was counting on me to gather and further contribute the names and contact information (personal emails) of everyone who may have been interested in potentially going after the manufacturer of the "Oxy" products and who've made SURE that no other manufacturer could (now) manufacture generics, that I'm VERY SORRY I've not been able to do what I said I would. I've been VERY ILL and in MORE PAIN than I think I've EVER been in and to the point where I'm often unable to even get out of bed much less work on working on the database that I started when we all began this "group." I will do my best, however, to bring that database up to date so I can share it with those of you who I have personal emails for and, hopefully, someone will step up and take over, not only the database, but also the fight against the manufacturer. I'll keep you informed as much as I'm able but please be aware that, in my current state, I'll be unable to take as active role as I thought I'd be able to at the beginning.
I wish you all the very best and I also hope that, in the end, we'll all succeed and at least get them to restore our smiles because, let's face it, that's really all we want, right?
Much love and hang in there y'all! Michele (aka-Christine)

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I can't help you but I can say I understand your distress. I have been taking oxycontin for a couple of years now and in the past few months I have been feeling my teeth become loose one by one, even as I am noticing two of my bottom teeth starting to hurt, yep I have just felt them and they are becoming loose, that is now 10 teeth, I am very frightened, like you I am a single mum with two kids 8 and 11, I am 48 but have kept well and only look around 35, so I have been told often. I have always looked after my teeth and only had one filling. I have always had nightmares about loosing my teeth and now it looks like it's going to come to fruition. You are not alone and I am s*** scared.

Sincerely,
Martine

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just want to give you an update on my own situation.

some of you may remember i asked the dlp ( dental law partnership ) to look into my own case of tooth decay a few months before christmas. it has been painfully slow, although they did say, it wouldn't be a speedy process. part of the reason for that may be the fact that, i'm not paying them and that i wont pay them unless, i have a case and that i win that case. but also it has taken a very long time to get my dentist to release my medical records along with any relevant xrays.

i received an email today from the the dlp to say, they now had all relevant information, that was available from my dentist and that, that information, was now being put before their own in house dental advisors and that it will take about 10-12 weeks. so more waiting, sorry! yes it is a drag but legalities and their proceedings do, however frustrating and as i've already said, had i been paying as we go, then things may have been swifter

so i hope you can be patient with me and i will post any further information as soon as i have it but in the meantime, if you haven't already it may be worth doing two things that if we get a favourable outcome will save time. firstly identify exactly when you started taking the medication in question and if like me, you've stopped taking them, to identify the last date of taking. i was able to get this information from my pharmacist and was very easy. also get a copy of your dental records to include any xrays you've had taken, you are entitled to do this, so don't be fobbed off.

another point to consider is, who do you hold liable?

my own thoughts were that it was the pharmaceutical company who were to blame, for not supplying enough information in the leaflet that gets included with the medication as to why you may suffer tooth decay. i don't recall reading anywhere that, the fact that, the medication gives you a dry mouth and that this is the reason behind tooth decay, plus of course the length of time you've been taking the medication, i don't recall this being mentioned either? so it seemed obvious that they must be to blame. when i said this to my contact at the dlp, that didn't go down particularly easy and although he didn't say why and i'm only guessing here, is perhaps because pharmaceutical companies will have banks and banks of their own lawyers to be able to fend off any potential threat of actions like ours.

and so it was put to me, how would i feel if they suggested my dentist may be negligent, and they haven't said this yet but if it could be suggested that he / she was, would i be willing to pursue the matter?

from the outset i'd never considered that either my gp or dentist were to blame but potentially from a dental perspective, as i'd commented about my concerns over the problems i'd been experiencing with my teeth and that my suspicions were that it could be my medication, should he / she have suggested, i find a different medication, that doesn't have dry mouth as one of the side effects and they never did!

so once again i know it's frustrating but try to be patient.

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Martin, I wish you continued patience as you attempt to navigate the legalities of your/our fight. Personally, however, I don't feel that either your dentist nor your GP should hold any responsibility for your dental plight. Why? Because if WE weren't given the down-low regarding what the "dry mouth" long-term effects would be, then how should they have known if (and, yes, that's a big IF) they weren't given anymore information than we were? I think the attorney is looking for the easier mark and I not only think that's not right of them, but I don't think it'll work either. Just sayin.

And, for those of you who've been following my progress, or lack thereof, I've been in the most horrific and unrelenting pain EVER that's not given me ANY rest nor showing any signs of abating. On a positive note, though (yes, there IS one!), I went to see another gastroenterologist and he's ordered a slew of high-tech tests to (hopefully and finally) determine what's causing me so much pain! At this point in time however, and based upon my symptoms, the concern is that I may have developed gallbladder cancer or, worse and God forbid, pancreatic cancer. I found out that they had found polyps in my gallbladder FOUR YEARS AGO and not only did they never tell me about it but there wasn't any follow up done either! But, these tests should help to rule out those nasty (and SO scary) things and, who knows, maybe after they figure out what it is and they're hopefully able to treat it, I'll even be able to get off, or at the very least, reduce the amount of opiates I'm now taking (which are at a ridiculous level now and, needless to say, isn't helping my dental issue either!)
As always, each and everyone of you are in my thoughts and prayers and I thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart for yours! God bless you all!

Warmest regards, Michele (aka- Christine)

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Christine - I'm pretty sure I sent you a message a while back to include me on the list. I have already had a couple of teeth pulled and one that really needed an implant but it was a tooth that had recently had a root canal and a crown and the dentist went in and took the crown off and cleaned out underneath it. It probably will eventually have to have an implant anyway. He saw another one the other day that he feels sure is going to start causing me problems. I am having excruciating tooth pain every night that feels like it is coming from the jaw but they say I don't have TMJ and my primary doctor doesn't agree and feels it is TMJ. We can't figure out where the pain is coming from but I have a feeling I am getting ready to spend a fortune on my teeth because of all of my medication. Please include me on your list. Thank you and I hope you get better soon.

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Christine - why have you not had your gallbladder removed? I had emergency surgery on mine a few years ago and they removed it. I no longer have any problem from it.

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