Teeth Worn Out Due to Medication

A large black hole on a front tooth of an elderly man's mouth was what the dentist saw, and it was the most unusual looking tooth decay ever seen. The man was taking nitroglycerine tablets which he stuck under his upper lip instead of putting it under his tongue. The tablets were the ones that ate through his tooth and created that big hole.

Gum disease and tooth decay may be caused by the intake of common medications that Americans always take, say oral medicine experts. Doctors are unaware of these side effects or do not tell their patients about them, they further pointed out.

A dentist and pharmacologist advises patients to know more about the medicines and the general health conditions of their patients. As you look through each medicine, think about how they can affect the patient's dental health, he tells dentists.

Oral medicine specialists present the following information on the top problematic side effects of medicines. A side effect of calcium channel blockers is gum swelling, which can be found in 20% of patients who take these drugs. Gum swelling and disease come about through the infiltation of bacteria in the gums through pockets caused by inflammation. Many of these medicines are widely sold all over the country.

Swelling is a side effect of amphetamines used to treat children's hyperactivity, as well as anti epilepsy drugs. A drug used by organ transplant recipients, cyclosporin can cause massive gum swelling. Inflammation caused by leukemia is similar in appearance.

Cancer patients experience dry mouth from radiation treatment, and dry mouth is a side effect of more than 400 drugs. When people don't have enough saliva, they may suffer cavities, excess plaque, and fungal infections. If the dentist does not agree with the doctor's prescription of calcium channel blockers, he would ask the doctor to change it to another heart medicine which does not cause too much dental problems.

The other option in case this is impossible is strict control of plaque and frequent trips to the dentist. Showing a photograph of a patient with damaged teeth and gums, another dentist pointed out that gum side effects can be avoided by a clean mouth. There will be no problem if there is no plaque, he said.

In a photograph he showed, a Dilantin patient with swollen gums could only show the tips of his front teeth. This condition could be minimized if the patient on Dilantin would see the dentist in 10 days so that the gum pockets could be treated, he said. But prescription drugs aren't the only problem. Another problem would be over the counter lozenges and cough drops which contain sugar.

He recalls one woman who had new cavities inside her mouth every time. Dentists were left mystified because she took care of her teeth and always brushed and avoided sweets. Then his receptionist spotted the woman popping pills, and she acknowledged she sucked on three packs of the antacid a day.

Article Source: http://gamblingarticlessite.com

You can get the best sleep dentistry information by visiting this website.Learn more on the topic of pain free dentistry.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated