Dear Dr Hall,
I suffer from heartburn and quite often it makes me throw up, and the acid in my vomit makes my fillings in my back teeth very sensitive to the point i cant chew even the softest of food. Could you explain to me why this is?
thank you,
Derek from Nova Scotia
Derek,
This is a serious problem and could ruin your teeth. I hope you can find a way to get your heartburn solved.
This is called acid reflux. The problem is that when you throw up, that is very acidic, and it dissolves away the enamel on your teeth. So I don’t think it’s your fillings that are sensitive – it’s your teeth. It’s similar to the damage we see from bulimia.
The best treatment is prevention. If you can get the acid reflux solved, then, possibly some fluoride treatments will strengthen your teeth to not be so sensitive and maybe so that they don’t decay.
Otherwise, you may need to have all your back teeth crowned. That will cover them to protect them from the acid. But that’s not a long-term solution, because there’s always a thin strip of the tooth that isn’t covered, and the acid can attack that and undermine the crowns.
Meanwhile, be SURE that everytime you throw up you IMMEDIATELY rinse out your mouth thoroughly with water. If you can catch this in the first few seconds, you can limit the damage from the acid.
Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Will Smith says
OK, let me add some other information. Not everyone with acid reflux problems will experience heart burn. I have what is known as silent GERD. I went from having healthy teeth to a major disaster in about 18 months. I am currently in the process of having all of my teeth crowned and some have eroded enough to require root canals and posts installed to anchor the crowns. The reconstruction would have cost around $28,000 in the US which I could not afford so since I am retired I will spend about 2 months in Brazil where I live part-time to get the work done. Unfortunately most people would not be in a position to have a place to stay or recommendations for a great dentist. But please consider my situation in case you begin to have symptoms of dental erosion!!!!