While Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) does not directly affect the teeth, muscle weakness and other aspects of living with the disease can mean dental health issues. Here’s what you need to know about keeping teeth healthy with DMD.
Facial muscle weakness
DMD first leads to weakness in the big skeletal muscle groups — the ones that allow you to jump, run, reach and move around. But over time, DMD can affect the facial muscles, too.
Weakness of the facial and mouth muscles may affect a patent’s ability to open and close their jaw. This can make brushing and flossing harder, which means plaque isn’t thoroughly removed from the teeth. When plaque isn’t removed it hardens into tarter, which in turn leads to cavities, gum disease and other dental issues.
Muscle weakness in DMD can also affect some muscles more than others, resulting in an imbalance of the muscles around the mouth and jaw. This can add to problems with opening and closing the jaw, as well as lead to a crossbite or open bite, two forms of dental misalignment. These issues raise the risk of gum disease, uneven wear on the teeth and other oral health concerns.
Tongue changes
The tongue is a muscle too — and it is also affected by DMD.
DMD can make the tongue both larger and weaker over time. This can mean the tongue gets in the way during chewing, adding to the bite problems noted earlier. It can also get in the way during brushing, making good oral hygiene that much harder.
Medication side effects
One of the most commonly prescribed medications in DMD are corticosteroids, which are intended to reduce inflammation. However, long-term corticosteroid use comes with a long list of potential side effects, some of which impact oral health.
Because corticosteroids suppress the immune system, they may increase the risk of infections affecting the oral cavity. They can also slow the healing process.
Additionally, corticosteroids can lead to reduced bone mass density, a condition known as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affecting the jaw bones may add to difficulties maneuvering the jaw, which can indirectly lead to dental health issues.
Arm weakness
Dental health is not merely what directly affects the jaw and mouth area. When general muscle weakness makes everyday activities of living difficult, dental hygiene is often affected too.
Once the arms start to become weak, thorough brushing and flossing becomes harder. Patients will eventually need the help of a care person, and that care person will need to learn how to brush someone’s else’s teeth correctly. As long as there are difficulties with reaching all areas of the mouth, dental health issues may develop.
Read more about DMD testing and diagnosis
Ensuring adequate dental care with DMD
Because there are often bigger issues to deal with in DMD, dental health can get pushed to the sidelines.
But good dental hygiene is just as important (if not more important) for those with DMD as for anyone else. In addition to keeping good dental health habits at home, people with DMD should visit the dentist regularly. By maintaining discipline in this area, dental and oral problems can be minimized.
Sign up here to get the latest news, perspectives, and information about DMD sent directly to your inbox. Registration is free and only takes a minute.
