There are as many as 5,847 cosmetic dental offices in the U.S. — and many are taking note of a link between certain commonplace medications and patients’ dental and oral health. In other words, some U.S. men and women may be taking prescription drugs that will result in high cosmetic dentistry costs later in life. What seemingly innocent meds can have permanent and devastating effects on your teeth?

There Are Some Things You Need To Know, If You Are On Antidepressants Or Anti-Anxiety Pills
Some of the most popular antidepressants can also have significant impacts on your dental and oral health, local dentists reveal. Dry mouth, for example, is one of the most common side effects of antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills. While dry mouth may seem like a relatively small issue (drink some water, right?), that’s not necessarily true. In fact, extreme cases of dry mouth — also called xerostomia — can lead to serious dental problems, such as bad breath, periodontal disease, and tooth decay. Some antidepressants may also adversely affect dental implants. In most cases, full dental implants, partial implants, and implant supported dentures have an impressive success rate of 98%. Unfortunately, among patients taking medications to treat depression, that success rate is much lower. What can and should you do about it? Find a good dentist. The best dentists will be able to guide you through dental and oral care and treatments — and offer advice and alternatives for patients taking antidepressants when necessary.

Most Women Take This Every Day…
Fluctuating hormones can cause deteriorating oral health in pregnant women. It can increase the likelihood of mild to severe gum disease and even result in some pretty scary symptoms, like bleeding gums. Hormonal birth control methods work by tricking the body into thinking it is pregnant. What does that mean? If you are taking hormonal birth control pills or using other hormonal contraceptives, you may be at greater risk for inflamed gums, among other things. The best dentists should be professional and respect your privacy — and you should feel comfortable disclosing all medications to them, including the use of hormonal birth control pills.

The best dentists reveal that 3 million Americans have dental implants — and that number is climbing by 500,000 a year. The increased need for dental implants, along with other dental procedures, may be (at least in part) due to a lack of awareness about the medications we take everyday and how they may affect our dental and oral health down the line.