lamotrigene question

[chop456]

My daughter takes 250mg (extended release) of lamotrigene. She is having bad teeth soreness issues. She complains of her back teeth hurting - says she gets a zing when she bites down. I am thinking she needs a root canal but am wondering if it could be something to do with her meds - I thought I read somewhere that lamotrigene (lamictal) can cause teeth issues...

 

[kirsten]

It can cause bleeding gums and tooth grinding, which can eventually end in decay. It's not necessarily root canal stuff-could be just a serious upgrade in flossing habits does the job, a simple filling, or a tooth guard. Either way, a good dentist will advise on the issue. They're very much qualified to deal with dental issues caused by medications. I'm having these problems currently with phenytoin and am visiting the dentist today. I'll let you know what he says.

 

[kirsten]

So here's my report. I have two issues, both from meds. First, sensitivity from receding gums causes the shooting pains while eating, which I've been told can be treated by directly coating at night with two different kinds of toothpaste made for this situation, (and I'm going to use both.) and getting the exposed parts of the teeth permanently coated by the dentist.

The other problem is that the med is causing me to grind my teeth, which is cracking all my fillings and leaving room for cavities to form, so he's done a couple of replacements and will finish up in a couple of weeks. Also, he says the tooth grinding/cavity issue can be helped by using a high fluoride mouth wash. He says that will go a long way towards preventing future issues. I've read that in America you actually have high fluoride toothpaste available on prescription, which we don't have here. You're looking for something with about 1.1% fluoride content, which you can't get on the shelves.

 

[valeriedl]

I'm also on lamotrigene and have been on it for a good many years.

I had to have a root canal a few years ago. The dentist never said anything about the lamotrigene causing it.

Last year my gums/teeth, I wasn't sure which, were hurting really bad. especially when I ate, brushed and flossed them. I could even touch them and they'd hurt. I went to the dentist and found out that I had receding gum lines and he said it was probably caused from the lamotrigene. He put some sort of fillings in and I haven't had problems since.

 

[SlimBlue]

I've been on it for about 15 years, and my gums are terrible

I've had to have loads of white fillings, and my pre-molars are pretty badly worn down but I've been lucky with my main fillings- only one has gone since I was a kid.

I do have periods when they might be very sore in one spot for a few days, but it seems to get better after a day or two.

Tbh there's probably a lot of other reasons why my teeth are so bad, but I guess every little helps *sighs*

 

[Nakamova]

Dilantin (phenytoin) caused gum problems for me (the main reason why I switched off of it). But I've been six years on Lamotrigine and I haven't had any dental problems. I do make sure to floss/brush/rinse and see the dentist regularly.