Why Your Dentist Needs to Know About Using Herbal Supplements

While most people don’t think it is all that big of a deal when they change up their supplements, it is absolutely something that should be shared with both your general practitioner and your dentist. I can already see you shaking your head. General practitioner sure, but why the dentist?

Whenever you put something into your body, it is impacts different areas in different ways. Because your oral and physical health are so linked, both doctors need to know about major changes to your normal routine. This is especially true if you have a specific health condition or are planning on having dental work done in the near future.

Why the Concern?

Regular medications, before they can go on the market, must be approved by the FDA. The problem with many herbal remedies is they are not approved by the FDA. In addition, these herbal supplements can also be far more potent that their approved drug counterparts. Something else to be concerned about is how these herbal remedies will interact with existing medications.

Problem Combinations

Vitamin E and Ginkgo Biloba should not be combined with aspirin. Separately, they both work as blood thinners. When taken together, anyone using the combination will have a problem with their blood not being able to clot. This could be especially troublesome for someone that is about to undergo a surgical procedure.

Supplements with high concentrations of vitamins should be avoided before undergoing any type of anesthesia because it can weaken the impact of the anesthesia. While anesthesia is something dentist do not often use, it is necessary at times due to other conditions affecting the patient.

On the flip side of that, is taking supplements like St. John’s Wort or Kava Kava. Those types of supplements will actually increase the effects of anesthesia.

For all the reasons mentioned above, your dentist should be made fully aware of any and all medications, herbal or traditional, before undergoing any type or procedure. Some patients are embarrassed to admit they are taking holistic or herbal remedies, but as you can see from the interactions with “normal” medications we have listed above, not telling the dentist can result in a serious health issue.

Are you avoiding the dentist because of the high costs of dental care? Our New Hampshire discount dental plan can save you significant money on procedures like root canals, extractions, and bridges. For more information about our plans, please click here.

Copyright: elenathewise / 123RF Stock Photo