The tooth decay the dentist found on the elderly man’s mouth was one highly unusual black hole on one of his front teeth. Because he gagged when he put his prescribed nitroglycerine tablets under his tongue, he decided to put it under his upper lip instead. The medicines were to blame for this hole in his tooth.
Hundreds of medicines that Americans take every day, from the country’s most popular blood pressure pills to chewable vitamin C tablets, can cause serious tooth decay and gum disease, oral medicine experts told the American Dental Association. 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. Ask yourselves how the tablets and pills you are looking at carefully may contribute to dental diseases, he advises dentists.
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. Inflammation creates openings in the gums where bacteria can get it and cause swelling and gum disease. These medicines are widely used around the nation.
Anti epilepsy drugs and amphetamines are the source of other swellings as well. A drug used by organ transplant recipients, cyclosporin can cause massive gum swelling. The gum inflammation of leukemia looks just like it, the dentist stated.
Dry mouth is a side effect that is found in radiation treatment patients, and is brought out by more than 400 drugs. Since saliva is important for a healthy mouth, lack of it would lead to many different kinds of dental infections. 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.
The other option in case this is impossible is strict control of plaque and frequent trips to the dentist. A dentist with a photograph of a patient with damaged teeth and gums said that such side effects would be no worry as long as the mouth is kept clean. There is no problem in plaque free mouth he said.
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. The problem is not just confined to prescription drugs. Aside from medicines, lozenges and cough drops could pose as a problem since they contain sugar.
He recalls one woman who had new cavities inside her mouth every time. She said she brushed regularly and avoided sweets, leaving the dentists so perplexed. Later on, it was discovered by the receptionist that the woman was popping three packs of antacids into her mouth every day.
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