Mouth & Dental Problems
Both dental crowding and a high, narrow palate are part of the hEDS criteria. This criteria is a checklist, so you don’t have to have every single thing listed, but if you meet enough it can lead to a diagnosis. Don’t forget Hypermobile Spectrum Disorders (HSD) can also lead to overlapping and severe, systemic symptoms!
So why does this happen? I’m definitely not an expert in this area, but it all comes down to connective tissues. People who show signs of hypermobility in their joints or have other common identifiers may find themselves struggling with periodontal disease. While swollen, receding, or bleeding gum problems can of course be caused by poor dental hygiene, there may be something more happening since connective tissues are a core part of the gums.
Many people also deal with tongue and lip ties which interfere with tongue mechanics. Your tongue is a muscle too and if your tongue isn't strong enough or if you have TMJ or a hypermobile jaw, you can develop too thick tissue as a compensation which leads to altered mechanics. Connective tissue is found all around your gums and throughout your mouth, so it makes sense it would impact many different areas!
Just because you’ve had extensive dental work done doesn't mean it was related to hypermobility. There are many factors that can contribute to dental issues but if you suspect you’re hypermobile, they may not just be a coincidence. Consider discussing it with your dentist and see what they think! You may be pleasantly surprised by the conversation you have. My Chaos Coordinator had a wonderful experience with her dentist this week when she introduced him to the concept of HSD. He was excited to learn about it because it was the missing piece to the puzzle he was trying to put together for her care plan. Now that he knows she has a connective tissue problem and it's not something that can be solved with a different routine, they have a new path forward.
Did you find something here that helped you on your own hypermobility journey? Join our mailing list to get tips like these delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday!
Blog posts may contain affiliate links to products mentioned. Purchasing through these links helps support Jenna’s work - she may receive commission at no extra cost to you.