Since one of my most popular posts deals with the dental problems that can result from medications, I decided to write a Squidoo article (or "lens", as they call them over there) on the subject. It's called "Effects of Depression: Taking Care of Your Teeth While Taking Your Medications."
In the article I recommend some products that have really helped my teeth over the years. In the interests of full disclosure, I'm an Amazon affiliate, so I will earn a small commission on anything anyone buys through my article.
Shameless pitch: I'm unemployed and broke. If you're thinking about buying xylitol gum or high-fluoride toothpaste, you'd help me out a lot by buying it through my Squidoo lens.
Showing posts with label dental health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dental health. Show all posts
Monday, April 2, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
More About Meds and Tooth Decay: Brush Several Times A Day
One of my most popular posts is the one about the dental problems that can result from taking meds for your brain. As I said in that post, tooth problems aren't something that most pdocs even know about, let alone warn us about when we start taking crazy meds. So you start a bunch of new meds for bipolar, depression, or ADHD, and suddenly your previously cavity-free mouth looks like that of a meth user.
I was at the dentist last week and learned something interesting, and a little counterintuitive, that I thought I should share with y'all: Drinking more water doesn't help your teeth. I'd sort of assumed that it would. I mean, if the problems are caused by your mouth being dry, wouldn't it make sense to make your mouth wet?
The problem with my hypothesis is that tooth decay, of course, is caused by bacteria. Your mouth fights bacteria not with water, but with saliva. Saliva has antibacterial properties. Water does not. Saliva also remineralizes your teeth, filling in any tiny pits that could develop into cavities later. Water does not. As my dentist said, "It just means you have to pee a lot".
My dentist recommends a lot of ways of dealing with this. There's the high-flouride prescription toothpaste. There are the mints and gum with xylitol in them, which stimulates saliva production. Then there's plain old brushing. By brushing your teeth several times a day, you get rid of that bacteria, and that prevents cavities.
I was at the dentist last week and learned something interesting, and a little counterintuitive, that I thought I should share with y'all: Drinking more water doesn't help your teeth. I'd sort of assumed that it would. I mean, if the problems are caused by your mouth being dry, wouldn't it make sense to make your mouth wet?
The problem with my hypothesis is that tooth decay, of course, is caused by bacteria. Your mouth fights bacteria not with water, but with saliva. Saliva has antibacterial properties. Water does not. Saliva also remineralizes your teeth, filling in any tiny pits that could develop into cavities later. Water does not. As my dentist said, "It just means you have to pee a lot".
My dentist recommends a lot of ways of dealing with this. There's the high-flouride prescription toothpaste. There are the mints and gum with xylitol in them, which stimulates saliva production. Then there's plain old brushing. By brushing your teeth several times a day, you get rid of that bacteria, and that prevents cavities.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Crazy Meds, Dry Mouth, Bruxism, and Tooth Decay: What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You
Today at The Lamictal Diaries, we're going to talk about one of those things your doctor probably didn't tell you when you started taking your brain medicine. We're going to talk about the massive dental problems that can result from taking SSRIs, stimulants, mood stabilizers, or antipsychotics.
Yup. Dental problems. Your doctor probably knew to tell you that some of the most common side effects of your medication are dry mouth and teeth grinding. Most med students, however, don't spend that much time learning about teeth in med school, which means that most doctors don't think of side effects in terms of how they'll impact your dental health. Most doctors simply don't know that dry mouth and teeth grinding (also called "xerostomia" and "bruxism" respectively) are not trivial annoyances, but potentially serious conditions that can have a serious impact on your quality of life. Over time, these conditions can lead to tooth decay, receding gums, tooth fracture, and ultimately, tooth loss.
You probably already know that a key part of managing your mood disorder is to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. Getting cavities, cracking a tooth, or going to the dentist for painful procedures are sort of the opposite of that. So what can you do to prevent your mental health from destroying your dental health? And why am I on about this anyway?
Yup. Dental problems. Your doctor probably knew to tell you that some of the most common side effects of your medication are dry mouth and teeth grinding. Most med students, however, don't spend that much time learning about teeth in med school, which means that most doctors don't think of side effects in terms of how they'll impact your dental health. Most doctors simply don't know that dry mouth and teeth grinding (also called "xerostomia" and "bruxism" respectively) are not trivial annoyances, but potentially serious conditions that can have a serious impact on your quality of life. Over time, these conditions can lead to tooth decay, receding gums, tooth fracture, and ultimately, tooth loss.
You probably already know that a key part of managing your mood disorder is to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. Getting cavities, cracking a tooth, or going to the dentist for painful procedures are sort of the opposite of that. So what can you do to prevent your mental health from destroying your dental health? And why am I on about this anyway?
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