Oral Side Effects of Medications: What You Need to Know

Medicines are necessary to control a condition, prevent complications, and treat health problems. Although helpful, not all medications are free of side effects. Some of them can be life-threatening while others can have a negative effect on how you look.

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To help you understand better, here are the most common oral side effects of medications and what you can do about them.

Dry Mouth

Drugs prescribed for heart diseases, like enalapril and chlorothiazide, can dry up your salivary glands. This can make your mouth excessively dry.

Once that happens, the tissues in your mouth can become irritated and inflamed, which can increase the risk of infection, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Think of it this way:

If there’s less saliva in your mouth, it can cause foods to stick on the surfaces of your teeth, making them difficult to remove. Saliva protects the tooth against tooth decay and gum disease.

Discoloration of Enamel

Drugs that cause staining and discoloration of the enamel include antibiotics. They are typically used to treat bacterial infections, some forms of acne, and respiratory issues.

Apart from that, consumption of too much fluoride can also lead to enamel discoloration. It can cause chalky white and cream colored patches to develop on your teeth.

Fungal Infection

Inhalers used for asthma may lead to yeast infection in the mouth called oral candidiasis. It is very important to rinse your mouth every time you use an inhaler to avoid this side effect.