The dentist was not expecting to see such a large black hole on the elderly man’s front tooth. Because the man almost threw up on his prescribed nitroglycerine tablets when placed under his tongue, he stuck them under his upper lip instead.

They were the reason for why he had a hole in his tooth.

Gum disease and tooth decay may be caused by the intake of common medications that Americans always take, say oral medicine experts.

Patients suffer tooth decay and gum disease because their doctors either don’t tell them these are the side effects of the medication or the doctors themselves have no clue.

Find out what the status of your patient’s general health is and what medicines he takes, a dentist and pharmacologist at the University of Buffalo advises other dentists.

He urges dentists to make careful observations on each tablet and pill and think about their side effects.

These facts are presented by oral medicine specialists who handled classes at this week’s ADA meeting. Around 20% of patients who take doses of calcium channel blockers for heart conditions also suffer Viagra Professional gum swelling.

Inflammation opens gums so that they are susceptible to bacterial infection, thus developing swelling and gum disease. These medicines are some of the biggest selling drugs around.

Similar swelling is caused by anti epilepsy drugs, and some amphetamines used to treat hyperactivity in children.

Used to prevent organ rejection, cyclosporin is capable of causing a bigger type of swelling. There is a similarity between the leukemia’s gum inflammation and the inflammation caused by cyclosporin.

Dry mouth, an apparent side effect of 400 drugs, is also a side effect of radiation treatment for cancer.

Since not enough saliva can pose as a dental problem for people, those who suffer from lack of it may need topical fluoride treatment.

The problems are serious enough that the dentist will ask doctors to switch patients with swollen gums from calcium channel blockers to another heart medicine if possible.

If not, then it is recommended that their plaque buildup be monitored and that trips to the dentist have to be done every two months.

Another dentist said the gum side effects could be avoided provided the mouth is kept clean. If no plaque can be found in the mouth, then there’s nothing to worry about, he said.

The Dilantin patient in a photograph he showed had swollen gums, more so that only the tips of the front teeth were visible.

He recommends that within 10 days, patients on Dilantin visit the dentist for treatment to minimize the condition.

Dentists don’t just point to prescription drugs as a problem. Over the counter lozenges, cough drops and antacids are full of sugar.

In one woman’s case, cavities were always showing all throughout her mouth. According to her, she always brushed her teeth and hardly ate sweets, and so it made dentists wonder.

Then his receptionist spotted the woman popping pills, and she acknowledged she sucked on three packs of the antacid a day.

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Category: Health
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