This post covers the issues surrounding having dental work when you have MCAS or another chronic illness.
This week, I had a regular dental cleaning and checkup, and it reminded me of the special concerns for those with chronic illnesses like MCAS.
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Table of Contents
Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis. MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
Special concerns for those with chronic health conditions
People with chronic illnesses face several special concerns when getting dental cleanings, due to the interplay between their medical condition, medications, immune status, and oral health, including:
- People with heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and cancer may require dental providers to consult the patient’s physician. Some patients may need pre-medication (e.g., antibiotics) before cleanings
- Chronic illness can suppress immunity (e.g., diabetes, HIV, autoimmune disorders), increasing the risk of post-cleaning infections or periodontal disease complications
- People with chronic fatigue, pain, or mobility issues (e.g., in MS, fibromyalgia, arthritis) may struggle with lying back for long periods, holding the mouth open, and traveling to the dental office
- If you have a hyperactive gag reflex, dental work and cleanings can cause a lot of discomfort
- In addition, certain medications can significantly affect oral health:
Antihypertensives, antidepressants can cause dry mouth (xerostomia)
Immunosuppressants can cause gum overgrowth and infections
Anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) can cause excessive bleeding during cleaning
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
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How to make dental work easier when you have a chronic illness
Tips for Patients with Chronic Illness
- Bring a full list of meds and diagnoses to every visit.
- Alert the dentist to current symptom flare-ups or fatigue.
- Ask for breaks or pacing adjustments.
- See a holistic dentist for a more gentle approach.
- Consider a dental provider experienced in medically complex care.
Detoxing after dental work
Dental work and dental cleanings can stir up bacteria and viruses residing in the oral cavity. Having an onslaught of toxins suddenly in your bloodstream can cause an MCAS flare, making the experience worse.
This post discusses how toxins can trigger symptom flares.
This post discusses how infectious triggers can cause MCAS.
As I discuss in this post, detoxing from toxins is crucial when you have MCAS or another chronic illness.
This post breaks down the different types of binders to support detox.
But specifically for dental cleanings, I undertake a protocol for detoxing to limit my toxic exposure and control symptom flares.
After a dental cleaning—especially for people with chronic illness—you may experience an immune response, minor inflammation, or systemic effects due to the release of bacteria and toxins from the gums into the bloodstream (a condition called bacteremia). A gentle, supportive detox protocol can help reduce symptoms such as fatigue, flare-ups, and inflammation.
Support after a dental cleaning
Here are some tips for supporting your body after having a dental cleaning or dental procedure:
1. Hydration Is Critical. Flush toxins and support lymphatic drainage by drinking plenty of filtered water for 1–3 days post-cleaning. You can add a pinch of sea salt or electrolyte powder if you’re prone to dizziness or low blood pressure.
2. Support your liver and lymph detox pathways. Gentle detox helps process any inflammatory byproducts or bacterial debris. Herbs like milk thistle, dandelion tea, or burdock root tea can help gently detoxify (unless contraindicated). Dry brushing, gentle lymphatic massage, or light movement like walking or stretching can help move toxins out of your skin, blood, and lymph.
3. Saltwater Rinses (oral detox) can help reduce bacteria and inflammation in the mouth. Use ¼ tsp sea salt and 8 oz warm water, and rinse 2–3 times per day for 1–2 days.
4. Rest & Nervous System Recovery. Chronic illness can involve dysautonomia or fatigue post-stress. After a cleaning (which can feel invasive), give yourself time to rest and reduce stimuli. Light reading, meditation, naps, or deep breathing can help the body regulate. My favorite form of nervous system retraining is the Safe and Sound Protocol.
5. Use Binders if your doctor approves. Some people take activated charcoal or bentonite clay after dental work to bind any toxins, especially if there’s a history of heavy metal exposure or autoimmune reactivity. Caution: Avoid taking binders with other meds or supplements (2–3 hours apart).
6. Anti-Inflammatory Food Choices. Avoid inflammatory foods (sugar, processed oils, alcohol) for 1–3 days after cleaning. Instead, prioritize eating foods that you know you can tolerate and are anti-inflammatory. Having a dental cleaning or procedure will raise the level of your bucket, so taking steps to reduce it will help you to feel better and recover more quickly.
Watch for signs of a symptom flare or infection. If you experience:
• Fever
• Significant gum pain
• Fatigue that lasts more than 3–4 days
• Swollen glands or face
Contact your provider. People with chronic illness may have atypical immune responses.
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
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Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy based on Polyvagal Theory that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
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Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
