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Artisan Dentistry's Blog

What Medication Can Do to Your Oral Health

Nov 5th, 2018

Taking certain medications can help treat disease and lead to better overall health. However, it’s important to be aware of side effects, as some medications can harm your teeth and gums.

If you’re experiencing any of the following, you may need to take extra precautions to maintain a healthy mouth!

Abnormal bleeding

Some medications such as heparin or warfarin are used to thin blood, so taking these drugs will prevent blood from clotting normally. While thinner blood can be good for patients who are trying to prevent stroke or heart disease, it can cause issues during oral surgery or treatment for periodontal disease. After oral surgery, you need blood clots to prevent dry socket and other complications, in addition to making recovery more painful than it should be! Always make sure to talk to your dentist about the medications you are taking before deciding on a treatment or surgery to take precautions to prevent these negative side effects.

Soft-tissue reactions

Some medications may cause sores in the mouth, inflammation, or discoloration of the soft tissues in the mouth. If you are on blood pressure medication, oral contraceptives, or chemotherapeutic agents, you may be at risk for these kinds of sores.

Dry mouth

Other medications can cause dry mouth. Over-the-counter medications such as decongestants and painkillers can cause dry mouth, as well as prescription medications such as antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and high blood pressure medications.

Dry mouth can cause cavities and decay because there is not enough saliva in the mouth to wash away bacteria. Instead, the acid and bacteria in the mouth can run rampant and wear away at enamel.

Always make sure to tell your dentist about the medications that you are on and discuss side effects with them. When dentists know your full health history, they can better consider treatment options.

Warranty

Our 5 Year Warranty

Anyone can train to be a technician, but few have the talent to become an artist. That’s why Dr. Mathew is able to guarantee his cosmetic dentistry work for a full 5 years. If anything goes wrong with the work, Dr. Mathew will fix it free of charge, as long as you continue with your regular 6 month preventative care cleaning and check up for the duration of the warranty.

Treatment Room

Individualized
Treatment Rooms

Our individualized treatment rooms and operatories provide patients with maximum privacy and comfort. The treatment rooms were built specifically with your comfort in mind.

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Here at Paul Mathew, D.D.S. we work diligently to protect our patients' privacy. Requesting an appointment via our Internet portal is considered part of what the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has identified as electronically protected healthcare information or ePHI. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, there are people or entities that may attempt to intercept the data you transmit to us. By checking the "I agree" box, and electronically making an appointment request, you acknowledge that you are making an appointment over the internet and that Paul Mathew, D.D.S. will keep this information confidential but cannot guarantee that others, outside of our practice, may illegally intercept this communication. By accepting these terms and conditions and sending this request via our Internet portal, you accept the inherent risk(s) associated with making this request for an appointment. If you do not accept the terms and conditions, you are always welcome to contact our office via telephone to schedule your appointment.

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Here at Paul Mathew, D.D.S. we work diligently to protect our patients' privacy. Requesting an appointment via our Internet portal is considered part of what the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has identified as electronically protected healthcare information or ePHI. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, there are people or entities that may attempt to intercept the data you transmit to us. By checking the "I agree" box, and electronically making an appointment request, you acknowledge that you are making an appointment over the internet and that Paul Mathew, D.D.S. will keep this information confidential but cannot guarantee that others, outside of our practice, may illegally intercept this communication. By accepting these terms and conditions and sending this request via our Internet portal, you accept the inherent risk(s) associated with making this request for an appointment. If you do not accept the terms and conditions, you are always welcome to contact our office via telephone to schedule your appointment.

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The information presented here is not intended or implied to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should be used for informational purposes only.