Many medications-both prescribed by your doctor and the ones you buy on your own-affect your oral health.
One common side effect from medications is dry mouth. Saliva helps keep food from collecting around your teeth and neutralizes the acids produced by plaque. Those acids can damage the hard surfaces for your teeth. Dry mouth increases your risk for tooth decay. Your soft oral tissues-gums, cheek lining, tongue-can be affected by medications as well. For example, people who have breathing problems often use inhalers. Inhaling medications through your mouth can cause a fungal infection called oral candidiasis. Sometimes called thrush, this infection appears as white spots in your mouth and can be painful. Rinsing your mouth after using your inhaler may prevent this infection.
Cancer treatments can also affect oral health. If possible, see Dr. Hubbs before beginning treatment. She can ensure that your mouth is healthy and, if necessary, can prescribe treatments to help you maintain good oral health. Dr. Hubbs is also interested in the medications you are taking because many can affect your dental treatments. Dr. Hubbs may want to speak to your physician when planning your treatment. Rare but serious jaw problems also can occur in people who've received bone strengthening drugs to treat cancer and, to lesser extent, osteoporosis.
These are only a few examples of how medications can affect your oral health. It is important that Dr. Hubbs knows about the medications you are taking so that she can provide the best dental care for you. Make sure you tell Dr. Hubbs about your medication use and your overall health, especially if you have had any recent illnesses or have any chronic conditions. Provide a health history including both prescription and over-the-counter products. Always let your dentist know when there are changes in your health or medication use.
Be sure to talk with Dr. Hubbs about how to properly secure and dispose of any unused, unwanted, or expired medications, especially if there are any children in the household. Also, take the time to talk with your children about the dangers of using prescriptions drugs for non-medical purposes.
As you become older, taking care of your teeth becomes more important. One common myth that people believe is that it is inevitable with old age to lose your teeth. This in fact is FALSE! Teeth are meant to last a lifetime, but only if they are cared for properly. As you age, your mouth changes.
You will find that the nerves in your teeth become smaller, and as a result your teeth seem to be less sensitive to cavities and/or other problems that you may be having. We encourage you to get regular exams, because if you don't this in turn can lead to worse problems.
A healthy mouth can make the biggest difference. If you want to stay healthy, feel good, and continue to look great all throughout life, making sure you have good dental health is the first step.
In order to maintain and improve your oral health here are some tips:
1. Brush with a soft bristle toothbrush twice daily. Another benefit is an electronic toothbrush.
2. Floss once a day at least to clean between your teeth.
3. For people who wear full dentures or partials make sure you remember to clean them on a daily basis. It is important to remember to take your dentures out at least four hours every day, and at night to remove them.
4. Since most tap water contains fluoride it is good for you to frequently drink it.
5. Quit smoking. Smoking can increase problems with gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss.
6. Regularly visit your dentist.
To help your teeth last a lifetime you can adopt healthy oral habits at home, make smart choices about diet and lifestyle, and seek regular dental care.
Here at LifeStyle Dentistry we care about your safety! We follow the Center for Disease Controls recommendations for proper infection control. What does this mean for you? It means that we work hard to prevent the spread of any infection. We make sure that all treatment rooms are cleaned and decontaminated from top to bottom.
We use disposable items as much as possible so that after each use they can simply be thrown away. A few examples of disposable items we use in our office include but are not limited to: chair covers, saliva ejectors, gloves and masks. Items that are not disposable, such as our dental instruments and handpieces are carefully cleaned and sterilized between patients. We also cover this equipment with protective covers, and make sure to replace these covers after every patient.
Before our team takes you to your treatment room, they have previously thoroughly cleaned and decontaiminated all surfaces. Disposable items, such as needles and gauze are placed in a special container or bag for disposal. Infection control also requires all of our staff that is involved in patient care to use appropriate protective garb such as gloves, masks, gowns, and eyewear. After each patient these are all discarded. Before our team members move on to see another patient we make sure to wash our hands and put on a new pair of gloves.
Your well-being is very important to us!
