The state of your smile can be affected by everything that you consume day to day—foods, beverages, and even the medications that you take. Today our Mill Valley dentists are going to be talking about how medications can affect your oral health. We hope that this information helps you safeguard your smile and make healthy decisions!
It is pretty common for over-the-counter as well as prescription medications to cause dry mouth as a side effect. This can be annoying to deal with, but, more importantly, it can also contribute to dental damage down the road. Saliva is your body’s natural tool for neutralizing bacteria and re-mineralizing enamel. When your mouth is too dry, oral bacteria are able to run rampant and infect your teeth and gums. That is why we encourage our patients to seek prompt treatment for chronic dry mouth, and talk to your doctor about any unwanted side effects you may be dealing with.
Another medication-caused issue you may have to contend with is acid reflux. When you experience acid reflux, stomach acid travels up your esophagus and into your mouth. As you would imagine, stomach acid can be pretty hard on your teeth and gums; leading to enamel deterioration and tissue damage. There are probably a number of reasons why you don’t want to suffer with acid reflux day to day, and your oral health is definitely one of them.
Finally, tetracycline is one specific medication that you need to be mindful of when it is used by pediatric patients. Research has demonstrated that tetracycline can cause developing adult teeth to form with unsightly stains and textural irregularities on otherwise healthy dental enamel. Tetracycline does not affect existing permanent teeth—it’s only problematic for young patients whose adult teeth are still developing. Talk to your dentist about alternatives to tetracycline when possible.
We hope that this short article has helped you think about how medications can affect oral health, and what you can do about it. As always, our Mill Valley dentists are here to answer any additional questions that you may have, and to help you optimize your oral health. Gives us a call to speak to a member of our team!