They say a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s one thing to read the list of over 300 hypothyroidism symptoms, but it’s another thing to see actual photos of the symptoms. When people dismiss your thyroid symptoms as all in your head as if they are imaginary symptoms you’ve made up in your mind (like anyone would make up these horrible symptoms), remember this: hypothyroidism can rear its ugly head in any part of the body. And that includes the mouth.
Hypothyroidism symptoms obvious in photos
A case study titled “Undetected hypothyroidism: A rare dental diagnosis” was published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in 2014. A 13-year-old girl came to the out-patient Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology in India with maligned teeth as the chief complaint. However, she presented with these obvious physical symptoms of hypothyroidism that had gone undetected. The dental plans were put on hold until a complete medical evaluation was performed.
Overweight (she gained abnormal weight after 9 years of age)
- Short stature
- Hoarseness of voice
- Dry, cool skin
- Stubby hands
- Poor muscle tone
- Puffy face
- Broad, flat nose
- Thick lips
Overweight, short-stature
Stubby hands
Puffy face; broad, flat nose and thick lips
Thick lips, macroglossia (large tongue) and spacing between incisors
Large, protruding tongue
Delayed shedding of deciduous teeth (baby teeth)
Delayed eruption of permanent teeth
Malocclusion (misaligned bite)
Over-retained deciduous canine
First and second molars in all four quadrants of the jaw
Only central and lateral permanent insiders and first permeant molars were erupted in all four quadrants
Retarded bone age in skull
Retarded bone age in hand-wrist
Photograph of PA skull radiograph showing over-retained deciduous and unerupted permanent teeth
Photograph of hand-wrist radiograph showing retarded bone age
Blood tests were taken and her TSH was found to be sky high at 153.46.
She was prescribed thyroxine sodium tablets by an endocrinologist. After five months of treatment, her clinical features of hypothyroidism visibly improved.
Five month post-treatment photograph showing loss of excessive weight and puffy face
Five month post-treatment photograph showing improvement in stubby hands
Reference:
Sonal B. Dudhia and Bhavin B. Dudhia. Undetected hypothyroidism: A rare dental diagnosis. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. 2014 May-Aug;18(2):315-319.
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I am planning to have my daughter checked for hypothyroidism after speaking with a friend about my suspicions. She had her daughter treated at 14 after years of trying to get her treated by doctors who would not treat her based on symptoms but blood work. She recommended your blog as well as doctors in the area. My daughter is 7 now and her incisors came in separated and crooked. She is overweight constipated, has poor muscle tone, tit a easily, gets cold in the pool and would turn purple as a toddler, has a protruding abdomen, pudgy slightly stubby hands, breasts, big lips, a tongue tie with tongue thrusting(which we also plan to have released next month), SPD and had a funnel chest(conclave chest). All of these symptoms I was searching for, especially of her pudgy hands as a toddler, finally are making sense. I can not wait for the doctor’s office to call me back to schedule her an appointment! It has been disheartening and worrisome to look at her and just think that something is not normal. Thank you so much for posting this!
My daughter ended up having high rT3 and high thyroid antibodies at 7 years old. Doctor wants to get to the underlying cause so waiting on medication. I am not sure if that is the best route but at least we are starting to get somewhere. Thanks for all you do with your website!