Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Teeth

I’m taking some time off to recooperate from having my remaining upper teeth pulled (7 whole and one broken tooth) and getting dentures. I just had them extracted yesterday and today is better but still not going to lie to you…I’m not having fun.

I thought I’d share with you some information which is more than I knew before but explains what could be behind my dental issues. I’m seeing people much younger than I with issues with premature crumbling of teeth. Someone asked what causes it and this NIH paper on Dental Manifestations of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I want to share this information with my dentist. The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome UK has an article on dental manifestations that might be easier for most people to understand.

What is EDS?

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of thirteen individual genetic conditions, all of which affect the body’s connective tissue. Connective tissue lies between other tissues and organs, keeping these separate whilst connecting them, holding everything in place and providing support, like the mortar between bricks. In EDS, a gene mutation causes a certain kind of connective tissue – the kind will depend on the type of EDS but usually a form of collagen – to be fragile and stretchy. This stretchiness can sometimes be seen in the skin of someone with EDS; individuals with the condition may also be able to extend their joints further than is usual – this is known as being hypermobile, bendy or double-jointed. As collagen is present throughout the body, people with EDS tend to experience a broad range of symptoms, most of them less visible than the skin and joint differences. These are complex syndromes affecting many systems of the body at once, despite this EDS is often an invisible disability. Symptoms commonly include, but are not limited to, long-term pain, chronic fatigue, dizziness, palpitations and digestive disorders. Such problems and their severity vary considerably from person to person, even in the same type of EDS and within the same family.

For more information on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome please visit their website.
United States
UK

I’ll share more about EDS in future posts but for right now…a nap is in order. I’ll check in again next week. In the meantime, wishing you a day full of sunshine!

Today’s feature photo by Rafael Rocha on Unsplash