Search


	Podcast:		UC Science Today
	Episode:		How certain medications affect your teeth
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:01:02
	Publish Date:		2017-02-13 18:00:00
	Description:		Certain medications may be bad for your teeth. In a new study, Peter Rechmann, a professor of dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco, found that patients who take, for example, blood pressure medicine or anti-anxiety drugs are more likely to develop cavities. This is because some of these drugs can cause dry mouth. "What we do with each and every patient, when we figure out a caries risk, we let them spit in a tube and if they produce during two minutes around two millimeters of saliva per minute, that’s normal. Those with medication produce much less." When there isn’t enough saliva, bacteria can run wild. And while this may damage your teeth with acid. “Saliva protects your teeth because it has calcium, phosphate and fluoride in it and it helps to remineralize the tooth. “ So if you can’t get off medication, Rechmann recommends protecting your teeth with fluoride-rich toothpaste, mouthwash with chlorhexidine and chewing gum with xylitol.
	Total Play:		0