CF vs Teeth

[picks_at_flies]

I thought I would post something from my own blog here.

My teeth have never been a Problem but they haven't been great either. My gums swell and occasionally bleed and I always get a good talking to by my dentist. This despite excellent care (when I'm well at least; when I'm ill it becomes incredibly erratic).

Today I learned why thanks to a

Comments

[addyit]

so... having swollen gums isn't necessarily my fault?? my dentists always told me it was.

[katebush]

Fault is a horrible word, but in a mouth with 100% perfect oral hygiene you gums will not become inflamed. Some conditions and medicines make your gums react a lot more to a lot smaller shortfall in that 100%.

[addyit]

huh!

[picks_at_flies]

For years I was told I wasn't brushing properly... but was never effectively shown the right way to do it (I was "brushing my gums" by, you know, brushing my gums). If your dentist etc have cottoned on to how CF affects things they may not be giving you as complete help as they could be. Next time you go, tell them how it affects you (or print out this page) and get better advice. Bad gums aren't as immediately destructive as bad lungs but they are painful!

To clarify the second point of my post, the core of CF is that salt doesn't go where it's meant to go meaning water doesn't go where it should. You end up with pockets of damp (the kidneys) and then dehydration in other places (lungs, saliva, pancreas/spleen).