Is the medication you’re taking to treat a disease putting you at risk for dental cavities? Do you wake up feeling like your mouth is a desert? We have seen an increase in cavities that may be associated with a dry mouth.
DRY MOUTH (XEROSTOMIA)
What is Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth, also called xerostomia (ZEER-oh-STOH-mee-ah), is the condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet. Dry mouth can happen to anyone occasionally—for example, when nervous or stressed. However, when dry mouth persists, it can make chewing, eating, swallowing and even talking difficult. Dry mouth also increases the risk for tooth decay because saliva helps keep harmful bacteria that cause cavities and other oral infections in check.
Causes
Dry mouth occurs when the salivary glands that make saliva don’t work properly. Many over-the-counter and prescription medicines produce dry mouth as a side effect. Among the more likely types to cause problems are some of the drugs used to treat depression and anxiety, antihistamines, decongestants, high blood pressure medications, anti-diarrheals, muscle relaxants and drugs for urinary incontinence.
Diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Sjogren’s syndrome, can affect the salivary glands. Other causes of dry mouth include certain cancer treatments, damage to the glands’ nerve system and aging( less salivary production). It’s important to see your dentist or physician to find out why your mouth is dry.
Treatment
Depending on the cause of your dry mouth, your health care provider can recommend appropriate treatment. There are also self-care steps you can take to help ease dry mouth, such as drinking plenty of water, chewing sugarless gum, avoiding tobacco and alcohol and using alcohol free mouth rinses, such as Listerine Zero, Crest Pro Health and Breath Rx.
Biotene products such as toothpastes, rinses and gels are sold over the counter and may help relieve the symptoms of dry mouth. Available in our office we recommend GC Dry Mouth Gel to help restore moisture, Prevident Fluoride Toothpaste to help strengthen the enamel and Perio Med Fluoride Rinse which strengthens enamel, reduces sensitivity and helps prevent gingivitis. Good oral care at home and regular dental check-ups will help keep your mouth healthy and cavity free!
  
The late Dr. F. Harold Wirth, longtime professor at the LSU Dental School, was known around campus for his jovial manner and trademark greeting, “How’s your PMA?” That’s Positive Mental Attitude. He developed a comprehensive approach to dentistry and living that centered on balancing the key areas of work, play, love and worship. He believed that trust, the priceless ingredient in any relationship, is the natural result of sincerely caring about the patient. From trust comes quality which leads to excellence, career satisfaction, compensation and contentment.
The mouth in its entirety is an important and even wondrous part of our anatomy, our emotion, our life: if it is not the site of our very being.
When an animal loses its teeth, it cannot survive unless it is domesticated. Its very existence is terminated: it dies.
In the human, the mouth is a means of speaking, of expressing love, happiness and joy, anger, ill temper, or sorrow.
It is the primary (personal) contact: hence it is of initial import to our regeneration and survival by food and propagation. The mouth deserves the greatest care it can receive at any sacrifice.
Dr. William H. Havener, MD, chairman of the the department of Opthamology at Ohio State University from 1959-1961 and 1972-1988, was known for his profound philosophy of care as he taught his students and treated his patients. This is an excerpt from one of his presentations as printed in the College of Medicine Journal:
When I was your age, I could only conclude that no one knew God and therefore atheism was the only tenable position. Now, I know that whether or not there is a God, the patients who know that they have their God are very much better off than those who know there is no God. No question – there is an enormous difference. So what do we do about it?
Let me compare physicians to stone workers. Three stone workers might, depending on their perspective, describe their task in life as carrying stones, as building a wall or as helping to construct a magnificent cathedral. So, also you can view your future tasks in patient care from different perspectives.
If you consider your tasks as carrying stones, you will view your patients as becoming complaining crocks, poor protoplasm, indigent individuals, sick scoundrels. Such a view does not permit you to be very impressed with what you are doing and you will seek solace of Bacchus, via alcohol and poppies. If you see only the construction of an endless wall, the futile patching up of worn-out bodies, the whole endeavor becomes senseless, and Lethe, the goddess of death, will welcome you.
But if you are so fortunate as to consider each patient to be God’s holy cathedral, a very special and individual person, you will have discovered the real joy of practicing medicine.
It was a very long time until I could do this. Now, most of the time I can free myself of the my own concerns and consider each patient to be a very special and important person, deserving of my very best skill and attention. From this perspective, whatever I can do to help is important because I am building a cathedral. I am happy that I can do something important.
The patient responds as you would expect. Despite his pain and distress, he appreciates my attitude. And how can you fail to be happy and secure if you spend your entire day with appreciative persons?
The most important thing I will ever say to you is that you should live your life as if there was a God of love who cares for you and for each of your future patients. I believe absolutely this is true. Do not see that patient as a square inch of eye or as a square millimeter of optic disc. See him/her as God’s holy cathedral that you are privileged to help build and maintain.
Good oral hygiene is important for maintaining one’s overall health. While most people have no problem with brushing twice a day, flossing is often left out of the daily routine.
Please let us know if you have any challenges that interfere with daily flossing. Believe me, we have heard them all, and have seen hundreds of converts over many years. We can help!!! Here is the evidence you’ve been looking for to push your motivation…..
Flossing has been proven to not only improve your oral health, but to your overall health as well. It is recommended that you floss once a day, either before or after brushing your teeth, making certain that you thoroughly remove the plaque from between your teeth. A few of these health benefits include:
- Removal of Plaque: Plaque is the sticky film of bacteria that builds up on the surface of your teeth. If plaque is left on your teeth, it can become an irritation to your gums due to the toxins that the bacteria produce. Eventually this plaque build up can cause an increase in your risk for gum disease.
- Prevent Cavities: The toxins produced by the plaque bacteria may also lead to tooth decay. Your toothbrush alone does not remove the plaque from between your teeth, therefore flossing daily can help prevent tooth decay/cavities.
- Prevent Gum Disease: As I mentioned above, the plaque left between your teeth can become an irritant to the gums, this may develop into gingivitis, a less severe form of gum disease, where the gums become tender, swollen, red and sometimes bleed when brushing your teeth. If this occurs, flossing daily can help the gums to become less swollen, bleeding will diminish and the gums will become healthier. However, if your gums continue to bleed while flossing, this may be an indicator that you may have periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease. Make an appointment with your dentist to have your gum health assessed.
- Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: Flossing regularly is closely linked with preventing cardiovascular diseases. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, bacteria associated with periodontal disease have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and preterm or low weight births. People who have periodontal disease are “almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease.” The reason for this connection is that the plaque build-up in the mouth can also spread to the rest of the body, via the bloodstream, which may cause inflammation in the arteries, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Better Smelling Breath: Flossing daily can improve the smell of your breath significantly. That’s because after you brush your teeth, there are still some particles of bacteria left in your mouth. Flossing removes these particles before they break down and release the toxins we mentioned above, which lead to bad breath.
All those are great reasons to make sure this 1 minute task is part of your daily routine!!!
 This quick and delicious soup takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, uses just four ingredients, and provides you with at least a serving of vegetables. Grab your spoon and dig in!
4 cups boxed chicken stock
9 oz package Fresh cheese tortellini (we used Buitoni)
6 oz package of bagged baby spinach
Parmesan cheese
Bring chicken stock and 1 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, add tortellini, and simmer until pasta is tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into 4 bowls, and shave or grate Parmesan over top. Serves 4.
Add chicken or shrimp for a one pot meal. Both are tasty additions.
NUTRITION (per serving) 249 cal, 16 g pro, 36 g carb, 4 g fiber, 5 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 839 mg sodium
This is a yummy meatless burger. Though not meant to taste like beef all my boys loved them. I served these with oven baked sweet potato “fries”. Found this on fatfreevegan.com -long time ago.
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut in quarters
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 16 oz. can light-red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup oatmeal, uncooked
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 1-3 teaspoons choppped chipotles in adobo sauce. (I only used 1 tsp., plenty, unless you like hot)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1.4 tsp. thyme
- 1/8 cup flour (I used whole wheat or could use gluten-free)
Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
Put onion & garlic in food processor and pulse to chop coarsely. Add beans and process until coarsely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended-just slightly more chunky than refried beans.
Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with canola oil. Use a spoon to put 6 scoops of bean mixture onto cookie sheet, smooth out with spoon to shape into burgers. Bake for about 15 min. (Don’t forget to throw your “fries” in the oven if your making them). When bottoms are lightly browned and beginning to get crisp, turn burgers and cook for 10-15 more minutes, till the other side is brown. Do not overcook or they will be tough.
Serve with any accompaniments desired – whole wheat bun, lettuce, tomato pickle, etc.
Makes 6 burger: Each contains 124 cal.; 1 g total fat; 6g protien; 24 g carbs; 465 mg sodium (228 without salt) 4g fiber.
We grill all year long, but this can be baked if you don’t lIke to cook outside!
- 8 (4oz) salmon fillets
- 1/2 C peanut oil
- 4 T soy sauce
- 4T balsamic vinegar
- 4T green onion, chopped
- 3t brown sugar
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 t ground ginger
- 2t crushed red pepper flakes
- 1t sesame oil
- 1/2 t salt
Place salmon in a glass dish. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the salmon. Cover and marinate the salmon for 4-6 hours. Grill or bake until desired doneness! Serve over salad, or with rice and veggies.
This is a yummy dairy free alternative to “store bought” pudding.
- 2 avocados
- 1/2 cup of organic cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of organic agave nectar
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl until all ingredients are well mixed. Transfer to a bowl or individual serving bowls. Chill several hours before serving. Top with raspberries if desired. Enjoy!
Although this is a popular salad at the holidays due to its festive colors, it is a great addition to any meal, anytime of the year. My family loves it and it is a staple at any family gathering that we have.
- 10-12 Kale leaves, destemmed and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP honey
- 1/4 cup dried currants, cherries or raisins (I prefer the cherry craisins)
- 1 small apple, diced
- 1/4 cup pine-nuts, toasted
- Seeds from one pomegranate
Put kale in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, oil, vinegar, honey and toss kale for a few minutes thus reducing volume of greens. Allow greens to set overnight in the refrigerator. Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar, and oil as needed. Enjoy!!
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