Do Medications Affect Oral Health?

Many Medications Can Cause Oral Health Issues

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, reports that four out of five individuals in their older years suffer from at least one chronic condition and over two out of five suffer from two chronic conditions. In order to treat these conditions and allow older individuals to have a high quality of life, doctors often prescribe different medications that need to be taken on a daily basis. More than 400 of the most common prescription drugs have one side effect in common – dry mouth.

Medications that are used to treat heart disease, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s, and more have dry mouth listed as one of their side effects. As a part of National Healthy Aging Month, the nation’s largest provider of dental benefits Delta Dental, cautioned seniors about guarding their oral health for the many dangerous side effects of dry mouth that daily medications can cause. In the medical world, dry mouth is defined by a reduction in saliva output and quality. For most people, having dry mouth is mildly uncomfortable and annoying, but it can cause serious problems for their oral health.

Dry mouth, aside from being uncomfortable, can also cause gum disease, tooth decay, and oral infections, which can lead to older individuals losing their natural teeth unnecessarily. An article published in the New York Times noted that chronic dry mouth is a major contributor to the rapid deterioration of teeth and oral health in nursing home residents. The American Dental Association, also called the ADA, has also pushed for warning labels on medications to help promote a better awareness of oral health complications that some common medications can cause.

According to the ADA, dry mouth is a very common side effect for each of the following medication groupings:

- Anti-psychotic agents

- Anti-allergy medications

- Anti-Parkinson’s medications

- Tricyclic antidepressants

- Cardiovascular medications

- Anticholinergic agents used for the treatment of urinary incontinence

Individuals who experience chronic dry mouth after taking a certain medication should mention the side effect to their doctor. In some cases, the doctor will be able to prescribe an equally effective alternative medication that does not have the same dry mouth side effect. Additionally, this should be mentioned to a dentist as well in order to receive important information on maintaining good oral health even with chronic dry mouth. Dentists may suggest sipping water regularly or sucking on ice chips as well as avoiding tobacco products, alcohol, and caffeine to help combat dry mouth symptoms.

If you are on medications, it may be time for a dental checkup. If you are not going to the dentist because you do not have a New Hampshire dental plan , consider using the Wellness Dental Plan. Our coverage can offset as much as 20 percent of all annual and emergency care dental visits. For more information, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of The Javorac via Creative Commons License