Life is full of interesting stages that you just can’t quite understand until you’ve been through them! Being a teenager, becoming a parent, emptying your nest, and retiring are each so distinct and different, yet each comes with its own struggles. Some of us have entered a stage that is characterized by the daily pill organizer sitting on the kitchen counter. Every Sunday evening you sit down with your bottles and fill your boxes. It’s fantastic that we have all of these prescriptions available to keep us healthy, but there are often negative side effects to some of these pills that we don’t always consider, especially when it comes to our teeth.
We hear the advertisements, and you probably read the warning stickers on the side of the bottle, but you might be ignoring one of those warnings that is most important for your smile: May cause dry mouth. That’s not such a big deal, right? For the health of your teeth, dry mouth is a very big deal. Your saliva protects your teeth from harmful bacteria that can cause decay. Without an ample supply, you’ll see a big increase in cavities.
Talk With Us and Your Doctor
We know the ins and outs of most of these medications, and it’s important that you let us know what medications you are taking. If you are noticing a problem with dry mouth, it is important that you have a conversation with your doctor to discuss possible switches in your prescription. Often there is an alternative that doesn’t cause dry mouth, but it’s not always the case. In some cases, you just really have to vigilant by drinking plenty of water, chewing sugar free gum, and maybe sleeping with a humidifier to help moisten your mouth.
Dry mouth seems like one of those side effects that you can ignore, and maybe you won’t have any issues with it. However, if you notice a sticky mouth that tends to have a lot of bad breath, it’s probably time to look into a change. Contact us to set up an appointment. Let us know what’s going on, and we’ll help you come up with a plan to correct the issue.
