The real tooth about steroids

At Easter, I was diagnosed with polymyalgia and took steroids for three weeks to ease the pain. I started with six capsules a day and gradually eased off.

My teeth then became loose – I suspect as a result of this treatment. Now my back wisdom tooth has been displaced into the gum and needs to be removed.

But when I visited the dentist, I was amazed to hear that, before he could remove this tooth, he had to consult my doctor. What’s more, sometimes a patient must wait two years after taking steroids before a tooth can be extracted as it could just be a prolonged painful side-effect of steroids. – E. Chislett, Dorchester, Dorset