Patients who have MS sometimes lack saliva. Dry mouth makes chewing, swallowing, and speaking more difficult. It can also lead to tooth loss because saliva isn't helping wash away decay-causing food residue and bacteria. Patients with advanced MS often have trouble swallowing.
A study by Spanish researchers showed that people who have MS have high rates of dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal (gum) disease. These problems can impact overall health in a number of ways. “Good oral hygiene has been shown to be very important,” says Kashani.
The systemic inflammation related to MS can directly affect nerves in the mouth and face — gums included. Inflammation can also affect the bones, nerves, mucous membranes, and skin in and around the mouth. Such inflammation often results in pain, sensory changes, mouth ulcers (oral lesions), and other issues.
There is a cause and effect relationship between MS and dental health. One of the main characteristics and symptoms of MS is heightened levels of inflammation. This happens as a result of the immune system deteriorating. Gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease are more likely to occur because of this.
Tongue sores with MS are often described as discomfort, burning, or soreness of the tongue: “My tongue hurts as if I burned it,” said one MyMSTeam member. “It is difficult to eat because my tongue is painfully sore. It even hurts to swallow my own saliva.” You may feel that certain foods make symptoms worse.
Lingual nerve damage can cause a variety of symptoms, including: Numbness in the gums, tongue, cheeks, jaw or face. Tingling in the gums, tongue, cheeks, jaw or face. Pain, burning sensation or crawling sensation.
When you have MS, your own immune system attacks the nerves in your brain and spinal cord. That can cause numbness or strange sensations, including in your tongue or face. MS can make it harder for you to chew or swallow and more likely for you to bite your tongue or the inner side of your cheeks.
Siponimod (Mayzent).
Research shows that this once-daily oral medication can reduce relapse rates and help slow progression of MS . It's also approved for secondary-progressive MS . Possible side effects include viral infections, liver problems and low white blood cell count.
Socket sclerosis is usually asymptomatic and does not require any treatment. The only potential complication arises during orthodontic treatment, wherein sclerosed socket of the premolar teeth may be an obstacle in closing the space by movement of teeth through the extraction space.
One quarter of people diagnosed with MS experience diminished taste. Read more at Momentum online to learn why your food suddenly tastes like cardboard.
Blood Tests: Currently, there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, but they can be used to rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Here's where MS (typically) starts
Although a number of MS symptoms can appear early on, two stand out as occurring more often than others: Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.
While many people with MS experience numbness and tingling at some point, you may or may not have heard of or experienced numbness and tingling of the mouth—a particularly unpleasant sensation.
People living with MS may be at increased risk of dental diseases due to variety of factors such as reduced manual dexterity to undertake tooth brushing. Some of the side effects of medications taken for MS, cause a reduction in saliva in the mouth (Xerostomia) which increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Some research studies have found that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a higher risk of fungal infections, such as yeast infections, as compared to the general population. Many MyMSTeam members find that yeast infections impact them often.
There is a high prevalence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders in MS, such as pain and difficulty opening the mouth and TMJ sounds, which can be attributed to myofascial and neck pain. Some studies also report teeth grinding, dental hypersensitivity, and xerostomia [12,13].
Although both MS and SS are autoimmune disorders, they are distinct conditions. Multiple sclerosis impacts only the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. In contrast, SS is a multisystem disease, meaning it can impact multiple areas of the body.
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.
Multiple sclerosis is caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking the brain and nerves. It's not clear why this happens but it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
People with MS may also get sicker than others when they become ill. This can mean that they produce more mucus, struggle more with postnasal drip, and cough more than other people with the same infection.
People with more advanced MS are more likely to experience altered smell. A study of 50 people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) or secondary progressive MS (SPMS) reported that 40 percent of patients experienced hyposmia, specifically regarding a reduced ability to detect odors (i.e., higher odor threshold).
Lingual nerve repair results in good sensory outcomes and significant improvements in the incidence and degree of neuropathic pain, even when delayed. Keywords: case series; delay to surgery; lingual nerve surgery; neuropathic pain; treatment outcome.