Celiac Disease and Dental Defects

You may not have known this, but, Celiac Disease affects more than just your small intestine. It can affect just about all areas of your body, including your teeth. It is fairly common for people suffering from Celiac Disease, to have dental problems.

Dental problems, due to Celiac Disease can involve anything from tooth discoloration, poor enamel formation, to translucent-looking teeth. Sadly, these problems are permanent, and do not get better once beginning a gluten free diet. However, some Celiacs have gone great lengths to hide these imperfections. Some have had their teeth whitened, and have purchased veneers.

One thing that interested me in researching this subject, was the fact that, there are a lot of dentists out there that do not know that Celiac Disease can create dental problems. However, there are dentists out there that do know this correlation, and have suspected that some patients may have Celiac Disease. The dentist, then, refers them to a GI doctor for further tests.

Dentists that are not well-versed in this correlation, often believe that a patient's dental issues stem from fluoride. There is work being done to better educate dentists on this correlation between Celiac Disease, and dental issues.

Sources:
http://celiac.nih.gov/DentalEnamel.aspx
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/tooth-damage-may-be-a-sign-of-celiac-disease-dental-professionals-told/article12346685/?cmpid=rss1

(photo courtesy of: http://www.celiacdiseaseinchildren.biz/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Celiac-Disease-and-Tooth-Enamel-Defects-in-Children.jpg

Celebrities who have Celiac Disease

Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be pretty tough (believe me, I remember how hard it was for me). You may be the first among your family and/or friends that has been diagnosed as Celiac. It can be lonely (even though my grandmother had it, and I was partially raised by her, she had been gone for a few years when I was diagnosed. I had no one). What gave me some comfort was that I was not alone. Some of the celebrities I look up to were also Celiac Disease sufferers. People like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Emmy Rossum had been living with the disease for years before I was diagnosed. I researched both and learned a lot from them. Also, learning that my first celeb crush has 2 Celiacs in his family really helped me feel less alone. Here is a list of celebs who have diagnosed Celiac Disease: Elizabeth Hasselbeck (public figure) Emmy Rossum (actress) Wil Wheaton's mom and sister Meg Cabot (author) Sarah Joy Brown (actress) Joe C (rapper who frequently performed with

South Park's Gluten-Free Ebola Episode

photo credit: southparkdigital Greetings Celiac Warriors! Recently, South Park did a gluten free episode that got a lot of attention in the gluten free and Celiac communities. For the most part, the reaction has been positive. Many folks, including myself, found it hilarious. You may be wondering what the episode was about. I'm going to give you the cliff notes version: The episode starts off with the kids returning to school after their start up company fails. Then the show cuts to the teachers lounge where the teachers are discussing Mr. Mackey who has gone gluten free. Mr. Mackey comes back and starts blaming all the world's problems on gluten. A co-worker becomes annoyed by all the gluten free talk and starts screaming at Mr. Mackey to shut up. Mackey states that behavior problems are due to gluten consumption. A female teacher expresses interest in going gluten free. Later on, the boys are on the radio promoting an "epic" party. Callers ask the boys i

Celiac Women At a Decreased Risk for Hormone-Related Cancers.

When it comes to Celiac Disease, there really are not many benefits to the disease. However, research has shown that women, who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, are at a lower risk for hormone-related cancers, which include Endometrial, Breast, and Ovarian Cancers. Women with Celiac Disease are 15% less likely to develop Breast Cancer, 40% less likely to develop Endometrial Cancer, and 11% less like to develop Ovarian Cancer. Researchers believe that this is due to a decreased level of female hormones that promote reproductive Cancers. Sources: http://thesavvyceliac.com/2012/09/22/celiac-may-reduce-breast-cancer-in-women/ http://www.celiac.com/articles/23048/1/Women-With-Celiac-Disease-At-Lower-Risk-for-Hormone-Related-Cancers/Page1.html (photo courtesy of: http://uvahealth.com/services/digestive-health-1/images-and-docs/landing_page_main_digestive2.jpg/image_large )

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