Watch and Learn: Drugs and Dental Health

The next installment in our series of dental care videos from ABC.com covers drugs and your dental health. Being sure to tell your dentist about any drug you take, prescription or other otherwise, is very important, and should be a part of your patient history.

Some of the highlights include:

Aspirin: This drug can be highly effective for many different conditions, including aches and pains, but also at lower dosages to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. It does this by thinning the blood, and can cause excessive bleeding during even routine dental cleanings if not accounted for.

Blood pressure medication: 1 out of 3 American adults are on BP medication, and those on beta blockers in particular are prone to overgrowth of their gums, which can require surgical treatment.

Vitamin E supplements: These are blood thinners, and like aspirin, can cause excessive bleeding during dental procedures.

All drugs with with the prefix anti- (anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-depression, etc.) contribute to a condition called dry mouth, which is simply a lack of saliva in the mouth. This is becoming an increasingly severe problem, especially in those over the age of 50, and can contribute to tooth decay.

If you have any questions about medications you are currently taking, or may begin taking, please feel free to give our Ann Arbor dental office a call at 734-677-2156 or contact us through our website. We are happy to help!

–Dr. Shannon Norman Kotre, Ann Arbor Dentist