Keppra and Teeth

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Dignan

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I saw a post on AEDs and oral hygiene in the Padded Room, but I was wondering if anyone heard if Keppra can damage teeth? I took Dilantin for years and knew of its affect on bones/teeth and gum overgrowth, but one reason I was switched to keppra was it was supposed to better on bones (and gums and teeth).

I've done a little research and not found anything definitive with regard to keppra other than some anecdotal tales of people who think keppra may damage teeth also.

Has anyone heard any news on how keppra affects teeth and gums over the long-term, if at all?
 
Personally, I had issues with it. That is just my point of view. I have not found anything on it in regards to medical information. I was also on the medication Dilantin for 13 years which was well over time (took it at the age of 1 due to the start of grand mals)

I saw a neurologist who changed the medication from Dilantin over to Tegretol at the time. Nevertheless, I am very aware of what AEDs can do to your teeth and do my best to keep up with these type of things. I try to look up information on the Internet or will contact the pharmacy to ask them about it. Many of the pharmacists have information we cannot find on the Internet because they have medical books for good reason. Perhaps that will help you in your quest. I am quite interested in what you discover.

Regards,
Suebear
 
Thanks Sue,

So to clarify, did you take Keppra and suspect it may have damaged teeth? Or, do you feel it mainly due to the years on Dilantin and Tegretol?
 
Thanks Sue,

So to clarify, did you take Keppra and suspect it may have damaged teeth? Or, do you feel it mainly due to the years on Dilantin and Tegretol?

I had taken medication prior to this one and had trouble with my oral health it continued to worsen when on this medication.
 
Went to the dentist today, and though they say it is not from Keppra, they are wanting to put a crown on one of my teeth.

It is a tooth I have a filling in from when I was a kid and was replaced with a porcelain filling several years ago. The dentist says it needs to be crowned, but it was not a tooth that I am having any trouble with at all. No pain, nothing.

Does that sound normal? Would I be able to tell if there was a problem with the tooth? No pain, no sensitivity, and I can't see a crack, so I wondering what brought this on.
 
No pain, no sensitivity, and I can't see a crack, so I wondering what brought this on.
Perhaps your dentist needs to make a payment on his new sports car. :)

Seriously, there can be a wide variation from one dentist to another in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and cost. A dentist I used to see was always suggesting that I get my teeth whitened (they are already whiter than most people's!) and that I have my wisdom teeth removed (they are not impacted, there's plenty of room for them, I have no pain, etc.). So you might want to get a second opinion before shelling out for the crown...
 
I generally trust this dentist, as he was the one I went to years ago after another one was claiming I needed a bunch of work done that wasn't real (that was crazy). He has been pretty straight with me over the years. He says I have a small crack on the backside of the tooth where the filling is located.

They were wanting to setup the appointment for very next day after my appointment. I couldn't do it, so its been setup for a week out. I may push it back, so I can see about getting another opinion. A week isn't enough time to schedule with someone else.

But, I don't want to wait too long and have a tooth break off or something. Still, if I drink cold drinks, no pain.. nothing.
 
It may just be a matter of style -- some dentists are more interventionist, others are wait-and-see. This site http://www.smilealive.com/why-do-i-need-a-crown/ suggests that if you get the crown now, you're saving yourself from a root canal and/or implant later:
Two main reasons for recommending a crown:
Broken tooth: The best predictor of if a tooth will break in the future is if the tooth has broken in the past. If your tooth has broken and your dentist tells you you need a crown, count yourself lucky! Often, when a tooth breaks, the break can occur deep enough that the tooth needs a root canal before the crown, or it can break below the level of bone rendering the tooth non-restorable. Once that tooth is extracted, it is usually recommended to replace it with an implant or bridge that costs thousands of dollars. That crown is starting to sound pretty good, huh? A dentist will often recommend crowns for teeth that they see are at risk for fracture, such as teeth that have very large fillings, or teeth that show fracture lines (especially if the patient has a history of grinding or clenching).Large filling: Every time you get a cavity in a tooth, more tooth structure needs to be removed in order to fill it. Thus, if you have a tooth that has been filled multiple times over the years, there is often very little tooth left for us to work with. The composite material (“white filling”) that we use must be bonded to the tooth with adhesive. If there is very little natural tooth surface area left, the bond will be weak and the filling will fail. Also, the composite material is not nearly as strong as the materials used to make crowns (gold or porcelain), so the chances that the filling or the tooth will break are much higher with very, very large fillings.
 
my uncle is a dentist, they all will have a range of opinions.

But like Nak just posted, 5-700 now could save you 2000 later down the road.
 
Well, I had a second opinion yesterday, and the second dentist said the exact opposite of my original dentist. He said that the tooth looks solid. He also took an xray and said I have a tiny filling and a lot of good tooth left there and there is no need for a crown. He said he saw no fracture.

He said he definitely would NOT do a crown on that tooth if it were his tooth. He said the opposite tooth may need it in a year or so (that matches what the original dentist said about the opposite tooth too) but neither were urgent issues.
 
Dentists are screwy. I think they are like car mechanics. They know you can't see the problem, so you don't know how bad it really is and they try to sell you stuff you don't need to drum up business for themselves. It's very shady. I think I have several fillings because of this as a child thanks to my mom being careless. Every time I would go to the dentist, boom! Cavity! Yeah, right... Maybe it was the bad Kansas water or something.

Thankfully I have a very good dentist now who I trust and is reliable.
 
He said he definitely would NOT do a crown on that tooth if it were his tooth.
That's a pretty firm statement -- should make your decision easier.

And I am relieved to hear that the dentist wouldn't put a crown on his own tooth. Self-dentistry can be quite hazardous. :lol:
 
My daughter is 28 months and has been on Keppra since she was 4 months, all of her teeth in the back came in decayed. I too believe it is the medication. She has two that will be completely grown in, in just a few more more but they are already decayed. They are brown are soon as they grow. My teeth and both of my other daughters teeth are great so I do not think it is genetics. The dentist agrees that it is more than likely this medication.
 
I have watched my tooth decay for years.
I had tried Dilantin 30 years ago. But there's been so many others t tried. And now I have several teeth missing from the front. And others as I miss along what I have. Doc says I will havet to floss morning and night. Loosing them one Has time until dentures.
 
I'm sure that any damage to my teeth would be from Dilantin, not my current AEDs--I took it for the longest time--20 years!!
 
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