Many common medications can lead to dental health issues you should be aware of to help you take the best care of your smile. Here are some OTC medications that may affect the health of your teeth and gums!

Decongestants and Cough Syrup

Decongestants are meant to help the body expel mucus associated with colds and reduce inflammation. While decongestants can certainly help provide relief for colds and mucus buildup, they’re also known for causing dry mouth.

Saliva helps balance bacteria and protect your teeth from acids that can cause tooth decay. With less saliva in your mouth, your teeth are more susceptible to damage.

Cough syrup is also a culprit in dental health problems. While cough syrup doesn’t necessarily lead to dry mouth, these syrups usually have a considerable amount of sugar and are sticky in nature, which can be acidic on teeth and cause tooth enamel damage [1].

Antacids

Acidic foods can be harmful to your teeth and also harsh on your stomach [2]. For some people who enjoy acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, antacids are helpful in reducing stomach discomfort. However, antacids can also cause dry mouth, and many of these liquids or tablets contain sugar, which has an additional harmful effect on teeth.

Allergy Medications

Antihistamines, or allergy medications, are known for causing dry mouth. As we’ve seen, dry mouth can affect your tooth enamel and bacteria in your oral cavity. Dry mouth can not only cause sensitive teeth, but increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease, so being aware of allergy medications’ impact on your dental health is important [3].

Aspirin

Aspirin is a very acidic over the counter medication that can affect your smile. If you take aspirin or dissolve aspirin in your mouth, be sure to drink water. In addition, your dentist should also know if you’re taking aspirin prior to any dental procedures as it could cause you to bleed more, although generally people on low doses of aspirin are at lower risk [4].

What Can You Do?

For medications that dry out the oral cavity, drinking enough water can help. If you need to take cough syrup, make sure to rinse your mouth afterward and wait about one hour before brushing your teeth to prevent tooth enamel damage.

If you do choose to eat acidic foods or take antacids, drinking water can help reduce the impact of both acids and antacids on teeth. Water is a great help when it comes to OTC medications that can affect teeth and gums!

Are you taking any of these medications? If so, always follow up with your dentist to keep your smile healthy and discuss how your OTC medication could be impacting your dental health!

Sources:
1. https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/patient_51.pdf?la=en
2. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/e/dietary-acids-and-your-teeth
3. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10902-dry-mouth-treatments
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3722997/

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The causes of dry mouth are numerous, and this condition can affect your smile if not addressed. Teeth that aren’t protected by saliva can be more subject to the bacteria that cause tooth decay. What could be causing your dry mouth, and what can you do about it?

Medications

There are hundreds of different medications that can cause dry mouth. These medications are used to treat high blood pressure, pain, depression, and may also include over-the-counter medications such as allergy antihistamines and cold medicines such as decongestants [1].

However, medications for urinary incontinence have been shown to have the highest risk for causing dry mouth in patients [2]. If your medication is causing your dry mouth, you can talk to your doctor about alternatives, but if alternatives aren’t possible, be sure to drink plenty of water and follow up with your dentist regularly.

Dehydration

Some people experience dehydration and aren’t aware of it. Your body needs an adequate amount of water to function every day; without proper hydration, you may experience short- term symptoms such as a headache and long-term effects such as decreased kidney function.

Adults older than 60 are more at risk for dehydration, but so are people who are not drinking enough water and in hot weather, exercising, or people who have recently experienced vomiting or diarrhea [3]. While mild dehydration can usually be remedied by drinking more water, severe dehydration requires emergency medical treatment.

Certain Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions can make dry mouth more likely, including diabetes. Diabetes can cause you to have limited saliva production, which can increase your risk for tooth decay and gum disease [4].

Uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to increased urination, which can contribute to dehydration and also lead to try mouth. Other types of medical conditions that may contribute to dry mouth include Sjogren’s syndrome, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

What You Can Do

Living with chronic dry mouth can put your oral cavity at higher risk for tooth decay and gum disease. You can, of course, drink more water throughout the day, but it’s important to understand the cause of your dry mouth so you can work to remedy the issue.

In addition to talking to your doctor about your medications, you should also consider dehydration as the cause, and if you’re at higher risk for dry mouth due to any medical conditions you may have.

It’s also imperative to visit your dentist regularly. Since dry mouth can have negative effects on the oral cavity, ensuring your teeth and gums are healthy can help protect your teeth against cavities or gum disease.

Although dry mouth isn’t fun to live with, you can still have a healthy smile and take the best care of your body by knowing your risk for dry mouth and working to minimize the effects!

Sources:
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-mouth/symptoms-causes/syc-20356048
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29071719
3. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=85&contentid=P00828
4. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/d/diabetes

The post What Could Be Causing Your Dry Mouth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Medications for high blood pressure such as alpha or beta blockers and calcium channel blockers can all cause dry mouth. Some of these medications may also be used to help treat other conditions such as heart complications or even diabetes. These include medications such as Verelan, Tiazac, and Norvasc. Let your dentist know if you’re taking medication for high blood pressure or your heart!

Antidepressants or Antipsychotic Medications

These include medications that can help with depression as well as bipolar disorder or even schizophrenia. Dry mouth is a very typical symptom associated with antidepressants or antipsychotic medications. These include medications such as Abilify, Risperdal, and Seroquel. Some of these medications are also used to treat attention deficient disorder (ADD) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as well.

Pain Medications

Pain medications are infamous for causing a dry mouth sensation! These medications have an antisecretory effect on the body, meaning that they reduce the secretion of normal body fluids such as saliva when taken. Pain medications may be taken regularly for chronic pain or only prescribed for certain temporary conditions or surgeries. Pain medications include codeine, Demerol, and Vicodin. These are only available through a prescription and should only be taken under the guidance of a physician.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines commonly help with seasonal allergy symptoms such as a runny nosy or itchy, watering eyes. You may also experience dry mouth while taking these medications. They’re commonly available over the counter but may also come as prescription. People may take these medications regularly or only during allergy seasons. Examples of antihistamines include Zyrtec, Benadryl, and Allegra.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for a variety of bacterial infections or illnesses and can also cause dry mouth. Not all antibiotics cause this side effect—the most notable ones are antibiotics for sinus infections, pneumonia, and ear infections. Such antibiotics include amoxicillin and Zmax. It’s always important to drink lots of water when taking a round of antibiotics. Sipping water can help you to replenish your saliva throughout the day!

There are over 400 medications that could cause you to have dry mouth—these are just a few! Could your medicine be one of them? Talk to your doctor or dentist about your medications, especially if you’re experiencing dry mouth or notice a decline in your oral health. You could need treatment to ensure your mouth will remain healthy while taking your medication!

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