Did You Know That Medications Can Harm Your Teeth?

You probably know that there are a number of things you should do to protect your teeth. The health of your mouth can actually affect the health of your entire body. For this reason, we recommend being conscientious of the medications you take and telling our dentist about any medications you take.

There are more than 400 medications that can cause dry mouth, which greatly reduces the amount of saliva you have in your mouth. While this may not seem overly serious, if you don’t have enough saliva, bacteria and food particles can stay on your teeth, causing decay, infection, and irritation.

Did you know that using an inhaler could also cause damage to your smile? You see, inhalers can actually lead to a yeast infection typically referred to as candidiasis. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to avoid this problem, such as rinsing your mouth out every time you use your inhaler. Other medications can cause a buildup of gum tissue. In other words, your gums could become swollen. In fact, these medications could actually cause your gums to grow over your teeth.

Other medications can also lead to a number of serious issues. Some of these medications include high blood pressure and heart medications, antidepressants, and antipsychotic medications. Even over the counter pain medications can cause issues with your oral health.

If you’ve experienced some of these symptoms, we recommend visiting our dentist as soon as possible. Our dentist, Dr. Richard D. Guthrie, and our team will be happy to examine your mouth and offer you and advice you need. If you’re interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to contact Mission Ranch Dental Aesthetics at 949-388-6325. We look forward to hearing from you!