Dental News

Medications That Can Affect Oral Health

March 6, 2019

Medications That Can Affect Oral HealthWe use medications almost every day to help alleviate headaches and even manage chronic diseases.  But have you ever stopped to wonder how these drugs affect your teeth and gums, or if they do at all? Let’s take a look at how your oral health can be affected by some medications.

Teeth Discoloration

Three drugs that can change the color of teeth are tetracycline, minocycline and chlorhexidine.  Tetracyclines are antibiotics that can cause yellowish permanent stains on developing teeth in children.  Since teeth development starts even before birth, pregnant women should avoid taking tetracyclines to prevent the drug from staining the unborn baby’s teeth.  Children are susceptible to tetracycline teeth stains in utero up to 8 years old.  Minocycline is an antibiotic that can be used to treat acne, and can cause black to gray discoloration of teeth and black pigmentation on gums.  Chlorhexidine is an oral mouth rinse used to treat gum disease, which can stain your teeth and tongue.

Dry Mouth

Common medications from different drug classes can cause dry mouth.  These drug classes include antihistamines, diuretics, antidepressants, decongestants, inhalers, and some blood pressure medications.  Dry mouth is the result of many of these medications reducing the production of saliva.  Saliva is important to oral health because in the mouth it reduces bacteria, neutralizes acid, and contains substances that help re-mineralize teeth enamel.

Altered Taste

Some drugs can alter the taste of foods you eat or can leave a metallic or bitter taste in your mouth. Examples of such medications are metronidazole for fungal infections, nicotine patches for smoking cessation, and some inhalants for respiratory diseases.  Methotrexate and doxorubicin are chemotherapy drugs that can also change the taste of food.  Often, the altered taste is temporary and go away once the medication is stopped.

Enlarged Gums

An enlarged gum is also known as gingival hyperplasia or gum overgrowth. Medications used to treat seizures, most notably phenytoin, can cause enlarged gums.  With phenytoin, signs of gum overgrowth usual appear one to three months after starting the medication and involve the gum tissue that is attached to the teeth.  Other medications that can cause this condition include drugs used after organ transplants and calcium channel blockers used for heart conditions.

If you think you have stains or other conditions caused by medications, contact California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 for a consultation.  A dentist can help determine the source of the teeth discoloration or condition and offer appropriate dental treatment or procedure to address the concern.

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