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 credit: glutenfreeworks
