Did you know that gluten could be hiding in the products that your hygienist uses? I never really thought about that. In fact, I never really thought about that until a few years after my diagnosis. I had been on a strict gluten free diet but from time to time I didn’t realize the products I was using at home ….my body washes and toothpaste etc were also affecting me. My body was still attacking itself in one way or another. It then got me thinking…. How much does my hygienist and dental office know about celiac disease? Do they have any other patients with this autoimmune disorder? If I am using products at home that had contained gluten, then whats to say the products at my dental office wasn’t the same?
I have to admit, I felt concerned and rightfully so. I also felt nervous reaching out to the dental office with a million questions. After doing some research on the subject myself, I found out that the fillings can contain gluten as well as fluoride and polishing paste. There were so many questions going through my mind. So what did I do? I sent them over an email asking for information.
I have to say I didn’t expect a response so quickly but was overjoyed not only by their response but the fact that they were proactive about finding the answers they didn’t know the questions to. The dental office had confirmed that all the products their office uses for the cleanings were confirmed to be gluten free, which included the prophy paste, fluorides both topical and varnish. They even gave me the company names in case I wanted to go the extra mile and verify myself. The office did let me know that restorative treatment there could be gluten in the topical anesthetic gel and were waiting back on a confirmation from their company’s lab. The office let me know they would make a note on my file that said that I could not use the topical gel as precaution until they found the answers. About an hour or so later the dental office confirmed that the topical gel was indeed gluten free but were surprised to find out that some brands (ones they don’t use) do contain gluten. I feel like this was a great step forward communicating with my dental office.
As for my readers, if you have celiac disease I would recommend writing down a list of questions or concerns you might have and want to discuss with your dental office. I suggest discussing with them what celiac disease is and how if affects your body. Then ask them about their products they use, and if they could check the products that are used on all procedures to see if they contain gluten. I would also either ask for the brand names to reach out to the companies for extra verification to see if the products are processed on shared equipment with those products that contain gluten.
I want to say a huge Thank You to my dental office for their quick responses and dedication to finding the answers on a patients behalf. It is truly appreciated!
Until Next Time
XOXO
The Celiac Corner
The Celiac Corner 