If you were with us for the last four issues, you’ll recall Threat #1 to your dental health was Neglect, either by you or your dentist, Threat #2—Under-treatment, Threat #3—Over-treatment and Threat #4—diet.

This week we’re going to discus Threat #5, Medications.

Ironically, the very medicines that are supposed to help you, could be making your health worse. You see, the single most common problem with medications is the dry-mouth effect they produce.

This probably seems simple enough to fix, right? Just drink more water.

The only problem with that is your saliva, packed full of antibodies, fights the bacteria and the poisons they generate in order to keep your mouth healthy.   

Without adequate saliva you increase your risk of dental decay.

Over time this decay permeates your gums growing steadily worse until your gum line begins receding and the roots of your teeth are exposed. 

Add sweets, soft drinks and other junk food to the mix and you’ve developed the perfect cocktail for major health complications.

The good news is there are two things you can do to help fight this problem.   

1. Use artificial saliva or a saliva increaser, such as Oral Balance.
2. Use strong prescription strength fluoride on a regular basis, something stronger even than what you can get over the counter, in toothpastes or mouthwashes. 

With regular use either one of these will go a long way to protecting your health and your teeth for a lifetime.

For more info, contact our dental health consultants at (804) 320-6800.