The elderly man’s tooth decay, a large black hole on one of his front teeth, was a sight that the dentist did not expect to see. He was taking nitroglycerine tablets which he placed under his upper lip instead of under his tongue. The medicines were to blame for this hole in his tooth.
Chewable vitamin C tablets, blood pressure pills, and other commonly consumed medicines can cause tooth decay and gum disease, oral medicine experts say. 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 stated that they persuade dentists to inquire about the medication that their patients take. He urges dentists to make careful observations on each tablet and pill and think about their side effects.
Oral medicine experts who were also instructor at this week’s ADA meeting list down the following facts. Statistics show that about 20% of patients who take calcium channel blockers develop gum swelling. Pockets in the gums caused by inflammation create entrances for bacteria, and this leads to massive swelling and gum disease. These medicines include some of the nation’s biggest selling drugs.
Medications to prevent epilepsy attacks and to treat hyperactivity also create similar types of swelling. Massive gum overgrowth is the symptoms of the organ transplant drug known as cyclosporin. The inflammation caused by cyclosporin is similar to that of leukemia.
A lot of drugs are responsible for causing dry mouth, which is also caused by radiation treatment. Dental problems result from lack of saliva, and those who don’t have enough may need topical fluoride treatment. 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.
If not, then it is recommended that their plaque buildup be monitored and that trips to the dentist have to be done every two months. Keep your mouth clean, and you won’t feel the side effects that affect your gums, another dentist said. He says that you will have no problem to worry about if there’s no plaque.
In a photograph he showed, a Dilantin patient with swollen gums could only show the tips of his front teeth. Those patients who are taking Dilantin are advised to seek dental attention in 10 days for treatment of gum pockets to minimize the condition, he said. There are other things to be concerned about aside from prescription drugs. Sugar can be found in cough drops and lozenges.
Repeated occurrence of cavities was the problem of one woman. Dentists were confused by what they saw because they knew that the woman made tooth brushing a habit, and hardly ate sweets. It was eventually discovered that the woman, who was seen popping pills by the receptionist, sucked on three packs of antacid a day.
