I hate the dentist. The mere thought of the pick scraping my teeth and gums drives me wild like a dog forced to endure a high-pitched whistle. The memories of the drill hitting a nerve the dentist thought she numbed causes me to cringe like a child being force-fed once-boiled, week-old brussel sprouts. If ever you put a committee into a room and asked them to think of ways to torture human beings, most would suggest the dentist’s chair–picks, drills, giant needles into the cheek and all.

Taking medications to keep my immune system in check has forced me to return to the dentist at least twice in the next month.

Because of this, I have spent much of my adult life taking care of my teeth, brushing daily, twice yearly cleanings. The best I could ask of myself is to floss more frequently. Between my hygiene and being subjected to numerous municipal fluoride experiments, my teeth have been largely impervious. I’ve had maybe six cavities my entire life–most of which were during my teen years, when my parents paid the dental bills and a toothbrush was as foreign to me as bathroom cleaner.

I returned to the dentist Thursday only to find out I have five cavities, including a nasty deep one that will require removing the tooth’s root. My dentist was so surprised by the decay he asked me: Had I changed my diet? Was I taking some crazy medication? Had I stopped brushing in protest of the Trump administration?

Immunosuppressants and oral health

Six months of immunosuppressants have desiccated my mouth like border patrol to the Arizona deserts and leaving my teeth to the mercy of the bacterial cartels.

Dental plaque (a bacterial mass) loves to hide in the canyons, ridges, and crevasses in between my teeth. A healthy mouth can better fight them. The immunocompromised, which now includes me, have to stay vigilant.

I’m now paying the price for those times I was too tired or too lazy or too busy to floss. The cost: a root canal, a crown, and five fillings. This amounts to over $2,000 in dental work and four hours in the dental torture chamber.

Autoimmune diseases and oral health

Interestingly, this may not be my fault alone. According to Colgate, dermatomyositis itself could be the cause. Their one-pager on autoimmune diseases and oral health points out how these diseases can cause trouble with eating, swallowing, and dry out the mouth and lead to more cavities.

Dermatomyositis dries out the mouth and causes trouble swallowing, leading to more cavities.

That said, as my dentist and hygienist explained, the solution is better oral hygiene. Three or four cleanings per year could also help. That and spending the ides of March in the dentist’s office having my teeth repaired.