Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Your Meds Could Be Harming Your Teeth!

Are you, like many Americans, taking prescription medicine for allergies, asthma, or high blood pressure?

Did you know that many commonly used medicines can have an adverse effect on your oral health?


It’s extremely important to communicate which medications you’re taking to the team at Dr. DiStefano, D.D.S., your favorite dentist in Howell, Michigan

Sound the alarm!  A few scary examples: 

Non-aerosol asthma inhalers contain lactose to improve the flavor.  It may taste better, but lactose is a milk sugar.  The inhaled medicine can coat your teeth with sugar that promotes tooth decay. 

If you suffer from spring and summer allergies, you most likely use an antihistamine to tolerate that runny, sneezy, and itchy feeling.  Antihistamines are notorious for causing dry mouth, which increases the rate of tooth decay, that leads to periodontal disease

Nearly one in three Americans takes blood pressure medicine.  It’s important to take this medication to control hypertension.  If you’re someone who takes this kind of medicine, it’s extra important to maintain good dental care.  Blood pressure tablets can cause your gums to grow larger, making it difficult to properly brush and floss.  This can lead to gingivitis and tooth loss. 

Please take a few minutes and read about more commonly used medications that can have an adverse affect on your oral health.  More importantly, make sure you provide us a full list of the medications you’re taking.  Our ultimate goal is to help you improve your dental health through care and education.   We’re also dedicated to maintaining a higher level of service to our patients so we can remain the best dentist in Howell, Michigan.

No comments:

Post a Comment