I am a 57 year old woman in good physical and mental health. I am 5 ' 8 and I weigh 125 pounds. My physical in June was normal and my blood work also normal. I eat well and exercise moderately but regularly. I take no medication and do not smoke. I do like a glass of wine but this mouth issue has taken a lot of the enjoyment out of that, as well as just about everything else... like eating, and kissing my husband, etc.

For the last four months I have been struggling with a miserable sensitivity in my mouth. The area facing my four front teeth, some of the gum above those teeth is affected and the lower teeth area is noticeably inflamed and quite red as well (it is worse on the upper area than the bottom). He red tissue will occasionally split if I lift it up to look at it or laugh and smile too hard/wide and I will taste a bit of blood. While the area feels wrinkled to my tongue, I seem to have adequate saliva... although it does feel like that particular area is sticking to my teeth. My tip of my tongue is perhaps a bit sensitive but then, it is almost always "checking" or re wetting the affected area. Once or twice I have awakened in the AM to find my upper lip quite noticeably swollen and distended but it went down fairly quickly... it continues to be only slightly swollen in the morning. (I wear a small night guard over my two front teeth but have worn it for years without incident). Because of the sensitivity, I cannot bear spicy foods which I love nor can I use toothpaste, instead I use baking soda. Any contact to the area is painful (even tapping on my upper lip from the outside generates discomfort)... if a tiny bit of my toothbrush brush hits my tissue it is mincingly painful... I floss and carefully use a waterpik.

I have twice visited my internist, gone once to my dentist as well as two visits to my dermatologist. I have been given a swish and swallow Nystatin, an oral Nystatin, two weeks of an antihistamine, a course of Valtrex, I have bumped up Vitamin B and lately taken a course of Prednisone... and nothing has changed it. This issue came on rather suddenly when I was out of the country, in Greece... or it may have started in Turkey but it began in late June... and it has not improved with any of the treatments. Initially, I thought this would run its course but I would have to say this is now chronic.

I would so appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. Once curious thing, my 23 year old son today tells me that he has the same wrinkly feeling on the same tissue facing his front teeth. My husband has not gotten anything similar. What do you think this could be caused by? Whom should I see? I am scheduled for a battery of allergy tests next Monday which I will go to... but I was wondering if anyone could weigh in on this. My son is a physician and I have asked his opinion (far too many times)... no one seems to have an answer here in Atlanta. Just hoping for a miracle.

Thank you,

J P

Hi,
I don't have all your symptoms, but dryness over my 4 front teeth, the mucosa "sticks" to my teeth. Been going on for a week. Cannot think of any reason either. I'm female, your age and in similar health. Have not been out of the country. I first thought it might be thrush and wondered about taking Nystatin, which didn't help you. I've tried lots of water and using a mouth rinse for dry mouth.
My dentist suggested it could be from pursing my lips and shutting down some salivary glands. Wonder if botox would stop that reaction? I share your experience with wine and food--really takes the fun out of anything acidic or spicy.
Currently I'm trying to limit my diet to bland food, yogurt and low sugar.
Good luck to you.

Hi Heather... you're my only answer. Thank you for sharing.

My dentist was useless (as was just about everyone else). I know my dentist stepped into his office and "googled" my symptoms and told me I had "dry mouth syndrome"... having googled my symptoms about twenty-five times, I even knew what website he was referred to.

Here's what worked for me... my dermatologist prescribed an ointment Orabase 12 grams Lidex 18 Grams. I put it on the affected area with a cotton swab before bed and once again in the morning. This tissue is much improved. Lidex is a steriod and the rest is a bit numbing and soothing. Whatever this is... it is not completely gone but it's not red and puffy, it doesn't split or hurt, and it's not sticking to my teeth nearly as much. The mucosa has a withered feeling to the tongue but it's not so miserably sensitive anymore. I can live with this.

I doubt that simply puckering your lips has much to do with this odd condition of the mucosa. My derm thought it was a contact allergy so I had all the taped on tests and I reacted to nothing but fragrance. So, maybe steer away from things that are scented or minted and therefore drying like mouthwash... try using baking soda to brush your teeth and maybe DC any flavored or scented lipsticks/chapsticks? That's easy enough to try for a month or so.

My husband (and my son) are physicians and they sort of cherry-picked through a bunch of things and then turned their interest to the ball game. They now have taken to scratching their heads and telling me to see another kind of specialist. I said, If this was in YOUR mouth you'd be a little more interested in "discovery" . I should feed him plain oatmeal and sugarless yougurt. Maybe I will.

You will need to ask an MD to give Lidex to you... and find a compounding pharmacy to make the mix... and naturally, it's not covered by insurance... or it wasn't covered by BC/BS, but it was only $30 dollars.

My sympathy and all my good wishes for getting back to normal.

JP

Thanks for the Lidex information. By the way, my husband is a doctor as well! Something about the cobblers children being shoeless...
I tried the baking soda and found it helpful. I'm going to watch my lip balm, toothpaste and what I clean my night guard with. I also have Blue Cross, and it would be a relief to only pay $30 for something.
Thank you so much for your help. Perhaps it is a physicans-spouse-syndrome :)
Heather

HA! How ironic that you're married to a physican, too and seeking sdvice from a website!!
Mine said the other night after I was moaning about my mouth, "Of course they can't figure it out, you're the wife of a physician."