After some harsh winter weather in many places in the country this year, the warming weather has brought the irritants out that set-off people’s allergies in full-force. What is blatantly obvious – by the people sniffling in the elevator and sneezing at the next table at lunch – is that plenty of the population suffers from this together. What might not be common knowledge, though, is that the medication taken for allergies can increase the risk for tooth decay.
Antihistamines, as well as decongestants in sinus medications, have dry mouth as a side-effect. Without adequate saliva to wash away bacteria, this causes a problem. Dry mouth invites an increase of strep mutans bacteria in the mouth, which are one of many causes of tooth decay.
To combat the possible increase in risk for tooth decay during allergy season or while using above-mentioned medications, patients can avoid foods and beverages that in combination with dry mouth exacerbate decay. These include foodstuffs heavy in sugar; heavy-carbohydrate diets can also increase decay. In addition, remember to continue to drink lots of water while taking these medicines.
The collection of unexpected tooth decay culprits also lists: depression and anti-anxiety medications, fruit juices, sports drinks, and cough syrup.
If you’re taking medication of some sort and are worried about how it might affect your oral health, contact a dental professional. The team at Georgetown Smile is more than happy to help you address your health concerns and treatments and how they might impact dental health.
Georgetown Smile 