Posts Tagged ‘teeth’
There Is Yet To Be A Reported Issue On Oral Conscious Sedation
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on September 2nd, 2010
Oral conscious sedation is a relatively old concept in dental care but some area dentists say it is becoming famous. At a local dentist office, the dentist says this has been part of his management for several years now. The benefits that comfortable pulling of wisdom teeth, root canal and crowns can never be ignored. Go to this site for further information on sedation dentist.
Oral medications are given to the patients that make them more relaxed, or even make them fall asleep, but it leaves them with a consciousness level enough to respond. There is a different type and amount of medication given to every patient. Depending on their fear and anxiety level, it is being customly adjusted. Some patients get by with one dose, but others require a little more.
One dentist attests that he has not a single issue that he could attribute to the use of oral conscious sedation. Training definitely does a lot with the assurance of safety to use this technique. It takes 35 pills for someone to experience the hazards of using this medication. The only situation that it wouldn’t be appropriate for is for pregnant or nursing women.
Terror has kept the dentist visits low and that is true to almost 145 million Americans. Her fear sprang from teenage years, says a lady who is terrified of dental appointments. What remains clear to her was the terrible pain, but the procedure is no longer vivid. Visit this site for further information on pain free dentist.
Not all patients who opt to have their dental work done do so out of fear. Sedation in dentistry is sought to assure comfort for the patient despite the prolonged and problematic procedures. Lengthy and awful procedures in dental offices can only be tolerated by a few patients without sedation.
One patient says she is not terrified of the dentist. Twice a year, she goes for regular cleaning but she also went through the sedation method when the crown procedure was prescribed to her. She can still turn her head and widen her mouth whenever asked during the time she was sedated and asleep during the procedure. The single downside perhaps is that patients could not be able to drive themselves home and they will need someone to pick them up from the dentist’s office.
Sedation dentistry did not sound interesting to him several years ago, said one dentist. His main purpose for attending the course pertaining to the procedure was to educate himself to equip him as he teaches others. However, there were three volunteer patients waiting at his office as he returned and he was convinced immediately after.
The whole team is required to take part in taking care of the patient’s dental procedure. The dentist and his team should continue with the procedure immediately after the administration of the sedatives. The procedure can actually cut the phobia of dental procedures permanently as an additional benefit to the single pain free experience. It is a normal scenario to meet patients who will not be comfortable without sedation even for the simplest routine cleanings. It is a better option rather than patients ignoring simple dental needs until they become major problems.
Know More About Whitening Kits
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on September 1st, 2010
Are you bothered about stained or discoloured teeth every time you smile? Well there’s a bit of great news just for you. Depending on the time you have and how much you intend to shell out, there are a number teeth whitening procedures you can get to get whiter teeth. There are teeth whitening options you can avail of, and you can opt for one based on your time availability and your budget. You can try inexpensive teeth whitening kits you can do from home or set an appointment with your dentist for professional teeth whitening procedures. Search through the options available, so you can find one that will suit your pocket and your schedule.
Peroxide-based teeth whitening formulations are the most common and will not harm your teeth. The more delicate ones will encounter minimal side effects such as gum irritation or sensitive teeth, but they go away in a short while. Usually, gum irritation isn’t even related to the whitening formula, but instead is due to a tray that doesn’t fit well into the mouth. What’s the bottom line? Teeth whitening is a totally safe procedure. The American Dental Association itself has acknowledged its proficiency and safety in an officially issued statement. As previously stated, some people experience trivial side effects from the tooth whitening process. If you experience tooth sensitivity, simply give it a break for a few days then start the treatments up again. Toothpaste especially formulated for sensitive teeth can ease the conditions. These special preparations help take the sting out of the nerve endings on teeth. If the teeth whitening kit you’ve purchased comes with a tray, lessen the time you use this. The effects will take a little longer to become noticeable, but they will come just the same. If you want the greatest improvements without the huge cost of a dental office teeth whitening program, why not consider teeth whitening kit which could be customised to your fit. Professional results are attainable even if you do teeth whitening by yourself. You may think its not possible, but a teeth whitening kit will give you the same results as a whitening procedure done at a dental clinic. So why do people pay so much more to have their teeth professionally whitened by a professional? Mostly because of the vivid results they can see immediately. At-home kits usually require a couple of weeks to match the results of one or two dental visits. The up-side for the kits is that they won’t cause a dent on your budget like a professional whitening will.
If you would like a celebrity smile, then make certain to keep an eye out for teeth whitening reviews where you’ll find expert advice and user comments.
Normally, a teeth whitening will last for 6 months to a year. Of course this depends on the person and the method of whitening that was used. For instance, an costly dental clinic whitening will give longer lasting results than a cheaper method such as whitening strips. Taking cost and convenience into account, most people prefer teeth whitening kits that come with custom trays because you’ll just have to purchase refills for repeat procedures.
Drill Work Is Not Necessary
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 31st, 2010
Because of the fear of pain there is fifty one percent of the population who does not get dental care. As mentioned by eighty percent of those who go to the dentist, they do not enjoy the treatments but they know why they are important. When it comes to changing people’s minds, this is possible when aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry, without drilling, grows popular. When it comes to their popularity, it had nowhere to go but up thanks to the dentists who gave people a new smile on life. You can get the best cosmetic dentistry information by visiting this website.
When it comes to composite plastic resins, not only do they look and feel like tooth enamel but they could easily be painted and sculpted as well so that they could fill in unsightly gaps not to mention cover up discolorations, breaks, and cracks. This is what is referred to as the bonding process because the resin adheres directly to the tooth and on most occasions, application is done on the front teeth. Often calling for some drilling is a retention trench which is not needed here. Less expensive than a crown and easy to complete is the painless bonding process but if work is performed close to the gums an anesthetic may be used.
Aside from bonding better, newly developed composites also have a wider range of shades which makes it easier for existing teeth to be matched with the new restorative materials. Micropores are tiny crevices in the enamel structure and these are temporarily created during the bonding procedure with the help of a mild etching solution that is applied to the teeth. The resins, hardened by an intense light, are bonded onto teeth enamel within seconds. Before the resin can be shaped and polished, a final coat must be applied.
There is no appearance of the tooth being enlarged after a gap is filled and so cosmetic dentistry is truly a form of art. In order to affect the way the light shines into an observer’s eye, the angles of the teeth are altered and this is also done to make it appear as if the teeth has not been widened and the only change was having the gap filled up. There are times when the technique fails and so the bonding is removed and replaced but no teeth trauma is caused. The amount of enamel removed by the etching solution is so small, that if left alone, it would remineralize within 24 hours. You will find that further information on cosmetic dentists sydney is on that site.
Should the bonding fail, it can be noticed during the first few days when people have problems with defective enamel. Other kinds of restorative work can never be replaced considering how bonding is not a panacea. At the point where the structural integrity of the tooth is compromised, it is advised that you get a crown done.
With people worrying about their front teeth all the time, dentists are worried that as bonding becomes more popular the people will start to disregard their back teeth regardless of how beneficial cosmetic dentistry has been. Bonding is definitely cheaper than crowning. Unlike the other, bonding is not a permanent solution. The process needs to be repeated when discoloration and flaking occurs and this happens anywhere from three to five years after the resin has been applied.
Aside from the smokers, those who regularly drink coffee are susceptible to staining. Reducing the need for drilling, bonding on the back teeth which is at its infancy stage can be used to replace silver fillings with some degree of improvement. With a hand tool, the dentist needs to scrape off the decayed area and then apply the resin directly to a substance beneath the enamel that makes up the body of the tooth called the dentin.
Serving as a sealant to correct pits and grooves in the enamel on the back teeth is the bonding process but any defects can lead to tooth decay being invited in. About thirty seven percent of children do not have cavities and more adults are retaining their own teeth according to the Academy of General Dentistry. What seems practical in the beginning can become very expensive much later.
One Cavity In Six Months Still Not A Good Ratio
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 29th, 2010
The nation’s dental health situation can be seen in the one TV commercial that shows a child showing her cavity to her dad. By the time the child is 21, his mouth will have had several teeth with cavities. Go to this site for further information on tmj disorder.
Having cavities is a common disease. It can be attributed to a number of different factors such as poor nutrition and too much sugar. It’s possible that families may have bad teeth even though there could be no explanation as to why this is so. Your grandfather’s good dental health does not give you reason to neglect yours. It’s possible that the supply of water in his residence had high fluoride content. Sweets may not have been consumed between meals. Maybe he washed his mouth with salt water and brushed with tooth powder to keep his teeth clean.
While you have no control of your heredity, there are still other things you can do. For one thing, you can pressure your local government to fluoridate your water supply if your water has at least one part per million of fluoride, and if your children drink it, their teeth will be partly protected. Drinking fluoridated water, according to studies, reduces cavities by half in children. It seems that fluoridation will even benefit the aged who may have problems with their bones.
You should reduce the number of times you eat sugar loaded food. Do away with food with sticky sugar. Dental caries start with plaques of protein and carbohydrate material that sticks to the surface of the teeth and in crevices between them. The plaque conceals bacteria that produce acid which causes the teeth to corrode. Dextran, formed from table sugar, is what the bacteria love to feed on. When you would like to get more information on neuromuscular dentistry check out this site.
Research reveals that dental caries hardly becomes a problem if sugar is consumed during a meal rather than between meals. Pacifiers containing syrup are being given to babies in recent years. If this is not enough to convince anyone, there is also another medical concern that might drive a point.
Hereditary fructose intolerance affects families. After eating fructose, these people start to feel very sick. Food containing sucrose is being avoided by this people. They don’t have cavities despite the fact that they consume food containing carbohydrates, such as bread.
This clearly points to sugar as the leading cause of cavities developed among the people of Western nations. Value your gums and teeth because they are necessary for your nutritional well being. Your dental health and tooth formation will be improved as long as you take your vitamins and minerals. Harder foods can provide gum stimulation and cleaner teeth.
It is obvious then that it is necessary for you to always brush your teeth after meals and visit the dentist. Pain, large expenses, and missing teeth could be what you are in for in the future.
The Brushing And Flossing Habit
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 26th, 2010
Each infant is deserving of good dental care just like your average person. Early care for a baby’s teeth would usually mean that the child’s first teeth would develop well. The primary teeth are necessary for permanent teeth to have space, which makes early intervention important. Other teeth may move towards space vacated by baby teeth lost too early, causing new teeth to come out crooked. You can get the best tooth implants information by visiting this website.
A child’s sore gums during teething may be remedied by gently rubbing them with your fingers or a small, cool spoon. When the child continues to experience pain, consult a doctor, dentist, or nurse. Using a slightly wet washcloth or gauze pad is recommended to wipe the infant’s gums days after he is born.
When the first tooth appears, cleaning it with a toothbrush with very little toothpaste is recommended. Look for toothbrushes that were specifically made for young children. The toothbrush should have soft bristles that won’t scratch the gums, yet small enough to fit into the mouths.
Baby bottle tooth decay can occur when infants sleep with a bottle of milk, formula, sugar water, or fruit juice in their mouths. Cavities would form because the liquids pool around the teeth, and then the teeth would fall off prematurely. Unless treated properly, baby bottle tooth decay would lead to crooked looking permanent teeth. Baby bottle tooth decay is a problem that can be avoided if you put the baby to sleep with a pacifier or a bottle of only water instead. Visit this site for further information on dental implant surgery.
Early dental visits help keep little problems from becoming big problems. The dentist will conduct a thorough examination of the baby’s teeth during the visit to see if dental problems had developed. While the dentist checks on the baby’s teeth, he or she will also give you tips on oral hygiene and proper diet for your child.
The best time to teach your child why dental care is important is when they are still young. You would start by first providing them with an example to follow, which is you. By showing your kids that you also do the good dental care habits, you make them do them as well.
Children should learn how to brush their teeth during their toddler years. Children should brush their teeth on their own with only a small amount of parental supervision once they hit the age of five. Flossing is a more difficult task for a child, so some practice might be in order first before he can do it on his own. The parents of two and three year olds should be ones who would first floss their children’s teeth. By the age of eight, the child will just be needing some supervision as he flosses by himself.
Fluoride is a mineral that makes teeth decay resistant by strengthening the tooth enamel. Young children are the ones who need fluoride the most. At the stage when teeth are beginning to form, fluoride gets mixed with developing enamel, thus causing teeth to be strengthened.
Fluoride for children is available in either the internal way or the topical way. Taking in fluoride the internal way includes eating food with fluoride, drinking water with fluoride, and swallowing fluoride tablets. Topical fluoride, on the other hand, can be applied by a dental professional, and will give anti cavity protection.
Watch Over The Health Of Your Teeth
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 25th, 2010
Rarely when someone thinks about health issues that they may encounter do they think about the health of their teeth. When times get hard and money gets low, dental treatment is often the first thing to go. Dental professionals, however, caution us that it is important not to neglect regular oral checkups and treatment. Go to this site for further information on cosmetic dentistry sydney.
Smoking or chewing tobacco is the leading reason people have oral cancer. Be careful, though because even if you do not smoke, you can still contract it. Diagnosis of this disease normally takes place in individuals over 40. The prognosis for oral cancer is generally not very good; only half of the people suffering from it survive more than five years, but dentists say there is still hope. By eating a lot of fruit and veggies, you are able to prevent many forms of oral cancer. Also you can combat it fully through finding it early. New technologies exist that assist health professionals in identifying early stage oral lesions by helping the visualization of cancerous and pre-cancerous cells.
You may also contract a disease called Periodontal, which harms the connective tissues around your teeth. The two major stages are gingivitis, the milder and reversible form, and periodontitis. Smoking, bad fillings and some medications can all lead to this condition. Symptoms of periodontal disease are bleeding gums, the fanning out of the front teeth, bad breath, and an increase in the spaces between the teeth. Only good oral care such as daily brushing, flossing and use of mouthwash can prevent this disease, as well as regular dentist visits.
If you don’t take care of your teeth and consume a diet high in sugar then you can get cavities in your teeth, which are a type of infection. Used to fill cavities for over a century, dental amalgam is a stable alloy made by combining metallic elements such as tin, copper, mercury, and silver. However, over the years the high mercury content has caused some concerns about the safety of its continued use. The leading health organizations including the National Institute of Health, the United States The World Health Organization and Public Health Service are in agreement on it’s safety. Amalgam continues to be a popular choice for dental fillings due its convenience, low cost and overall strength, but it is not the only choice available. If you choose not to have amalgam fillings, your leading alternative is the use of white composite fillings. This is an aesthetic option for your fillings to make sure the teeth look normal. Visit this site for further information on laser dentistry sydney.
In order to ensure that your bone and soft gum tissue remains healthy, it is crucial that you visit your dental professional for routine cleanings and exams. Consider the case of an accountant who neglected dental care for ten years, and then had to have a root canal and a crown which could have been prevented by regular dental care. When periodontal disease appears, deep pockets of inflammation take shape. The damaged areas simply can not be reached through regular brushing alone. Scaling, to remove plaque and bacteria and infected tissue below the gum line, and root planing, to smooth the root surface making it more difficult for plaque to accumulate there, allow the gums to heal and the pockets to close. If you put a little into your dental health throughout your life you can reap a large benefit later on.
Everyone has bad breath, sometimes known as halitosis, at some point in his life. There are several different reasons halitosis occurs and some things can bring it about rather quickly. Something as simple as the onions or garlic you’ve had on your lunch can cause halitosis to rear its head. Dry mouth, tobacco, and poor dental hygiene, are other causes of bad breath. Medical conditions can also be the causes of bad breath, and they can range from postnasal drip to ailments of the kidney or liver. Food and bacteria from foods can get trapped in the tongue’s taste buds, so avoiding offending foods can help to diminish and even eliminate bad breath. To avoid these odors, using mouthwash, a tongue scraper, and brushing your tongue with a toothbrush is quite effective. Advanced technologies have brought us a long way from the chewing-sticks used by the Babylonians as early as 3500 BC. The most important tool in keeping teeth healthy still remains the basic tooth brush no matter how much technology is available.
Can Everyone Whiten Their Teeth?
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 25th, 2010
If you are like the thousands of people who deal with discolored teeth, you understand how frustrating it can be to deal with. If you drink; tea, coffee, red wine or dark sodas, eat curry or smoke cigarettes your teeth will change. Extended use of any of these substances over a period of time will result in noticeable discoloration/ To get a closer look on cosmetic dentist sydney visit this site.
Keep in mind though that not everyone is born with the option of pearly white. Your teeth can also discolor with age. Fortunately, there are teeth whitening treatments that can make you look years younger.
You have probably already thought about whitening if your teeth are not as white as you would like them to be. But is the whitening process safe? There is no concrete connection between tooth whitening procedures and cancer at this time, and much research has been done on the subject.
The majority of professional products on the market today utilize a ten percent solution of carbamide peroxide, containing a three percent hydrogen peroxide. Using an oxidation process, these products remove organic pigments and chromogens from teeth. Hence, whiter teeth. As a person looking for sydney teeth whitening you should visit that site.
Clinical studies conducted throughout the years have validated how safely and efficiently the process is. However, patients should use the products properly. As with all products, teeth whitening options should be administered according to the specified instructions.
Those who currently have very white teeth are not recommended to use whitening products. The reason is that they would not see much of a difference, leaving them disappointed and feeling that they wasted their money. People with bridges, crowns or fillings should also abstain from teeth whitening products, as these portions of the mouth will not be whitened by these processes.
Whitening should take place before you have any restorative work. However, if the only work a patient has had done is on the posterior teeth, there is no need to be concerned as these areas will not show while smiling anyway. Patients who are pregnant or lactation should postpone whitening their teeth as a precaution.
Tooth whitening should be done by a professional so the patient can be advised of what to do and what to expect. Furthermore, the trays used for whitening by the dentist are custom made so they can hold the whitening gel where it is needed. By using these trays, no amount of the whitening gel is accidentally swallowed.
Your dentist can also remove any tartar from your teeth first so that the trays will fit as snugly as possible and you can discuss what results you should expect. After you and your dentist came to an agreement, he/she will take an impression of both your upper and lower teeth. To do this, a gummy material is applied to trays and inserted in your mouth until the impressions are set.
These trays then go to a dental laboratory where they will cast these models to get a replica of your teeth. From these models, plastic molds that fit your teeth perfectly are made. And finally, the trays are sent to your dentist’s office.
They will instruct you how to use the kit when you return to the office. All you will have to do is place the molds filled with the whitening formula over your teeth at night, then sleep with them in. The tray is removed in the morning and the process is repeated until you reach the desired level of whitening.
The Necessity Of Caring For Every Child’s Teeth
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 25th, 2010
It is a sad fact that there is no such thing as a true to life tooth fairy, who, like the illusionary tinker bell, gets to spark in the minds of parents as she darts from one home to the next, that their kids really need their teeth taken care of properly? Teeth of three year olds rotted down to the gums was something the clinic has been accustomed to. A little young girl, being unable to swallow her food, suffered sweetened stomach problems because she just opted to swallow it all. Go to this site for further information on cosmetic dental surgery.
This dental clinic has been specializing on this area for the past 40 years or so. The clinic’s appointment books are filled with names of young patients who have never owned a toothbrush even in the midst of educational leaflets, films, television programs and dozens of other means used to inform families that our teeth are not indestructible. Keeping one’s teeth clean is way more important than just relying on proper nutrition to keep them healthy and strong.
Furthermore, using dental floss often to clean the spaces between the teeth where bacteria merrily multiply is recommended, apart from just using the toothbrush. Mothers can be able to provide the leverage necessary to do a whistle clean job on their children’s teeth if they could only learn how this technique is done, maintain the dentists. Murdering a child’s teeth can be done with chewy caramels. Raisins are also very harmful. Hygiene tells the difference between good and bad teeth more than nutritious meals.
All thanks to the children’s benefit league, financial help flooded into the clinic’s preschool program. Funds and toothbrush donations are undertaken by a civic group. It was wonderful how the local hygienists, and dentists, specialists in their field, donated fluoride, instruments and free dental hygiene time in order to treat some kids which is not covered by their dental clinic. Visit this site for further information on sydney cosmetic dentistry.
A specialized program sponsored is the orthodontic clinic for children with the most need. It is extremely easy for most people to imagine that those lucky enough to be close to such sponsoring activities will easily flash the most glorious pearly whites in their city. But sadly, this is never the case. Concerns of the parents is what this mostly hinges on. For many elementary school children, his school nurse would give him a referral note in either Spanish or English words, stating that he should go on a nice trip to his friendly dentist soon.
Such a visit could alleviate any fears the child may have. Located at the ground floor of a local medical center, the surroundings are very attractive for any child. The child gets to learn what an X ray machine is for and how it is used. They are no longer frightened of the dentists after meeting them. These licensed dentists like to sport mustaches, longer hairstyles and all of them exude a youthful aura. In lieu of the white coats, they wear nice casual outfits. Posing as regular guys, they impress the children.
The spokesman of the clinic shares that dentists are so great with the kids. Kids in crying fits are a rarity while dentists are able to solve this easily. With every visit, the kids become more confident and friendly with these dental experts. Even as the treatment is over already, many kids would still send pictures and write them.
Dental Provisions For Handicapped People
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 23rd, 2010
Going to the dentist is not something one would feel excited about. Some would look at it as an experience of discomfort. Since handicapped people have much greater fear of dental treatment, providing them with dental health care is almost impossible. Go to this site for further information on laser dentist sydney.
How do you make it known to a mentally retarded person that the only way the pain of a toothache can be relieved is through the dentist and his instruments.
How are patients who might have mental or physical handicaps going to be taken care of when what they need is not made available to them?
A masonic organization started to provide funding for handicapped people to have quality dental treatment. The dental facility makes an effort to help all types of handicaps. No handicapped person pays from his own pocket. Payment methods that the patient can use are either public assistance, if eligible, or insurance coverage. You can get the best dental laser information by visiting this website.
However, if such funds are not available or do not cover the entire cost, the expense is paid by the organization’s foundation. Apparently, they not only handle the cost for dental treatment, but even transportation, lodging, and hospitalization. If you exclude air fare, you would find that the cost would be about $350 to $550 per person.
The dental work is usually performed on the patient while he is under general anesthesia. Medical and dental evaluation is done a day before in the hospital. Previous to the patient’s arrival, the center has received specific information on the patient’s handicapping condition, a detailed record of dental needs, records of previous medical treatment and pertinent medical history.
An adjoining room is provided for a member of the patient’s family just in case the patient needs something. The patients are usually in the hospital between three to four days on average. Though a large percentage of treatments are already handled in the hospital, out patient care my be needed. If it is a necessity, additional work and care may be provided.
Patients who are treated while under the effects of general anesthesia are usually those who are physically or mentally handicapped. The most recent dental machinery provides more comfortable and fast dental treatment. Patients will find themselves feeling more secure while seated on the new dental chairs.
In order to work with handicaps, a dentist must be very patient. Difficulty in communicating with them could be a problem. The view of society towards a handicapped, the way the dentist understands him, the way he responds to those around him are things to be considered. The program, through the college of dentistry, helps dental students by providing a clinical training ground. This will give future dentists a better understanding of how to treat handicapped patients.
Tracking down the trained dentists will be simpler for the handicaps since the sponsoring organization will have a record. Requests for dental care may entitle a patient to sponsorship. We’ve been in the good graces of the families of the patients. They’re joyful for the care that the family is now receiving.
Gum Swelling A Side Effect Of Certain Medication
Posted by: stomper in dental advice on August 20th, 2010
The dentist was not expecting to see such a large black hole on the elderly man’s front tooth. The man was on medication, and he put the tablets under his upper lip instead of under his tongue. These tablets caused that very big hole in his tooth. Go to this site for further information on sedation dentist.
Oral medicine experts told the American Dental Association that much of the medication Americans take every day may be damaging to the condition of teeth and gums. Doctors are unaware of these side effects or do not tell their patients about them, they further pointed out.
A dentist and pharmacologist at the University of Buffalo pointed out the need for patients to reveal their medical history and medications to their dentists. Look at each tablet and each pill with scrutiny and think about the side effects they may have, he tells dentists.
Oral medicine experts who were also instructor at this week’s ADA meeting list down the following facts. Calcium channel blockers, which are prescribed for high blood pressure, has gum swelling as a side effect, which affects 20% of the patients who take them. Inflammation creates openings in the gums where bacteria can get it and cause swelling and gum disease. These medicines include some of the nation’s biggest selling drugs. Read this site if you want painless dentistry information.
This kind of swelling can also be seen as effects of anti epilepsy drugs and amphetamines. Massive gum overgrowth is the symptoms of the organ transplant drug known as cyclosporin. The gum inflammation of leukemia looks just like it, the dentist stated.
More than 400 drugs cause dry mouth, as can radiation treatment for cancer. People who don’t have enough saliva in their mouths are susceptible to more dental problems like cavities and may need topical fluoride treatment. The problems caused by calcium channel blockers can be so serious that the dentist would call the doctor and ask him to change the prescription.
There has to be strict plaque control and frequent trips to the dentist otherwise. Another dentist pointed out that to avoid the side effects of these drugs, all you need to do is make sure your mouth is kept clean. There is no problem in plaque free mouth he said.
A photograph he showed is that of a Dilantin patient with gums so swollen that only the tips of the front teeth could be seen. He explained that any patient on Dilantin should get dental treatment from the dentist within 10 days to avoid bacterial infection. Dental problem sources include prescription drugs, but there are still more to be aware of. Sugar can be found in cough drops and lozenges.
Repeated occurrence of cavities was the problem of one woman. She did not eat sweets so much and brushed her teeth regularly, and this made dentists wonder. She later on admitted that she sucked on three packs of antacid a day.
