My Worst Enemy is Also My Best Friend
私の最大の敵は親友でもある
I have a love-hate relationship with saliva. When I’m treating patients, I hate it. My assistant is constant fighting to keep my patient’s mouth dry as I treat him. On the other hand, I can also sing the praises of saliva. Without saliva, my patients would have a lot more problems in their mouths.
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One of the main reasons for a patient having dry mouth is medication. This includes both prescription medication as well as non-prescription medication. There is a long list of which ones can cause a decrease in saliva and cause dry mouth. These may include common drugs for allergies, colds, high blood pressure, pain or others. There are over 400 medications that list dry mouth as a side effect. Sometimes, a different medication may be used to provide relief.
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Dry mouth can also be result from radiation treatment for cancer. Sometimes, stress or hormone changes with pregnancy or menopause can cause dry mouth. Other times, dry mouth can be result of an autoimmune disease or diabetes.
So what’s there to do if you have dry mouth symptoms? In some cases, if the medication or the medical condition cannot be changed to reduce dry mouth, there are things that can help. Drinking more water or more frequently sips of water can help avoid the dry mouth feeling. Your dentist can also tell you about products that can keep the mouth moist. There are sprays, gels, toothpastes, and rinses that can help keep the mouth moist. There are sugar free gums and candies to help keep the saliva flowing. Also, avoid alcohol, carbonated drinks and caffeine, all of which can also dry out your mouth.
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Speak with your dentist about your dry mouth because the earlier it is diagnosed, the better the outcome. Discussing your medications or health conditions with your dentist regularly can help identify what is causing the dry mouth and if things can be changed.
Taking care of your mouth and teeth are extra important with a dry mouth. Last month’s article, I told you about my patient who had a dry mouth and may need 3 root canals. So far, he only had to do 1 root canal. The other 2 teeth are still OK. They may act up in the future but only time can tell. It can be 2 weeks, it can be 2 months or it can be 2 years or more. Hopefully they will remain quiet and calm forever. I will have those teeth circled in my computer on his dental chart as something I will keep an eye on as well. As for why he has a dry mouth, turns out that he had changed a high blood pressure medication that he forgot to tell me about. I spoke with his medical doctor and now he is on a different medication that works just as well. My patient will be coming back on a regular basis because he’s learned a difficult and expensive lesson about saliva and dry mouth.
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So while I hate and fight with saliva in my office every day, I’m loving it more and more because it’s good for my patients and it makes being a dentist easier for me.
（次回は２月第２週号掲載）
〈Keyword〉saliva 唾液 dry mouth 口渇 radiation treatment 腐った
〈プロフィル〉Dr. Clara Lee ニューヨーク大学歯学部卒業。ニューヨーク大学ブルックデール病院でチーフレジデンス修了。13年以上に及ぶ臨床経験は一般歯科、コスメティック、インプラントを含む。インビザライン認定医。Waterside Dental Care院長として古山医師と共に、多くの日本人患者さんを治療。Dentistryをこよなく愛している。記事提供：Waterside dental Care（Tel：212-683-6260）
