The Dos and Don'ts of Dry Mouth

July 2015

Good Morning Everyone,

I wanted to take some time today to talk to you all about a very important issue in dentistry: Xerostomia. Xerostomia is the scientific term for dry mouth. This happens when the salivary glands that produce the saliva in your mouth are not functioning at their optimal capacity. Unfortunately we see this a lot in our practice. You might ask, what causes this and more importantly, why do I care? Well those are great questions!

The reason this is such a problem is because saliva plays an important role in protecting your teeth and gums. Having less saliva increases your risk for cavities, tooth sensitivities, fungal infections and bad breath. It is not uncommon for someone to go from having excellent check ups many years in a row to all of a sudden having 3 or 4 cavities all due to the change in the climate of their mouth from xerostomia.

Xerostomia has been attributed to medication use, smoking, mouth breathing (especially at night,) dehydration, and some medical treatment such as cancer radiation and chemotherapy. It could also be the result of a systemic disease. It is no wonder we are seeing cases of xerostomia more and more. Oral dryness is listed as a side effect of over 500 different drugs. To phrase that a different way, about 80% of the medications commonly prescribed and used OTC can cause oral dryness.

That is a lot of information to absorb but I do not want you to feel helpless. There are many things we can do to try to combat this common problem. To start with, treatment has to be tailored to each individual patient. A good place to begin is with the source of the dry mouth. A consultation with your primary care physician can help you to come up with the best medication regime for you to follow; as well as, make sure there are no further systemic problems that need to be addressed. Regular hygiene appointments are also recommended to stabilize your oral health and to come up with a good daily oral hygiene routine.

In terms of the symptoms, there is no clear consensus on the most effective ingredient/product for dry mouth. There will be a bit of trial and error involved here. Some common solutions include: sipping water throughout the day, using a humidifier at night,  fluoride toothpastes and rinses, salivary stimulants, and sugar free gum that can help stimulate your own saliva production.

Xerostomia can be an uncomfortable condition, but it is something that can be managed with the help of your dentist and their team. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Have a great day,

Dr. Omene

What Really Happens at a Dental Cleaning?

June 2015

Hi Readers,

I want to welcome you to the first official blog post of Omene Family and Cosmetic Dentistry. Our goal is to use this blog to pass important health information on to our friends, family, patients, and perspective patients. There is a wealth of information out there, but it can be hard to sift through it all to find the education you need. We want to do that for you! We take oral health care and continuing education seriously over here and we love passing along what we've learned. Each month we will highlight specific articles we have read and bring out the most important points to benefit your oral and overall health.

Today I wanted to share an article from US News & World Report (5/20/15)
The article brings up the importance of maintaining a regular dental recall schedule with or without dental insurance. About 40% of American adults don't have dental insurance and are far less likely to see a dentist....until something goes wrong. Unfortunately, this might be the wrong move. As the article points out:

"minor cavities can turn into major problems, and what would have required a filling can eventually require a root canal or extraction [...] regular exams can uncover small problems before they grow in both size and cost."

The article goes on to consider how not caring for your oral hygiene can affect more than just your mouth. Studies have linked poor oral health to a variety of other overall health problems including diabetes and low-birth weight babies (look out for more on these topics in future blogs.)

Below we have created a fun video to let you know exactly what goes on during a cleaning at Omene Family and Cosmetic Dentistry. We hope you will come in for a visit and find out more for yourself. If nothing else, stop by for a free cup of coffee on us :)