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Here's How in Maturity
Save teeth and prevent serious drug conflicts | |
| By Leonard J. Hansen | |
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The news is good about your teeth and avoiding problems in medications as experts answer your questions about health in the mature years. Q. I’m near age 60 and am concerned about when I should start having my teeth removed as my parents did. Can you advise? A. Yes, we can advise. And no. Forget any assumption that you will need to have teeth removed because of age. In the 1950s and 1960s advertising dentists promoted extractions and false teeth because it was easier and more profitable for them. And the assumption persisted. . Cavities do occur in the teeth of mature adults as they do in people of all ages and, in most cases, can be effectively repaired. Worn down teeth can be capped. . "People lose teeth because of tooth decay or gum disease, not because they’ve reached a certain age," reports Linda Niessen. D.M.D., American Dental Association consumer advisor. "Dentistry has never seen as many older adults keeping their natural teeth," said Patrick Lloyd, D.D.S., in a report to an ADA scientific session. . Many dental problems are due to other causes, such as dry mouth from any of 400 prescription drugs, according to Sebastian Ciancio, D.D.S., professor of periodontology at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Dentists can recommend oral rinses and artificial saliva to remedy the problem. Additionally, the swelling of gums can be caused by calcium channel blockers used to treat high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmia, anti-convulsive medications (such as dilantin) used to treat epilepsy, and cyclosporin and similar drugs used by patients who have received liver, kidney or heart transplants. Tobacco can cause tooth erosion as well as oral cancer. . Tooth loss is not a sure consequence of adding years in maturity. Smile broadly when you next visit your dentist. He or she can probably keep your pearly whites in place. . Q. I take five different prescription drugs and use a couple of over-the-counter medications and I feel worse than ever. Is there a specialist I can consult to get a prescription to treat my new ailments? A. The answer to this question may save your life. If you’re like most mature adults the several drugs are prescribed by different physicians, and to that you add the non-prescription drugs. . Your adverse reaction may be caused by polypharmacy, a conflict in the medications. Each drug is designed to create a specific effect within the body and when doing so throws something else out of balance, known as a side effect. When you take several different drugs there also may be conflict between the medications and the adverse side effects may compound. . When prescribing a drug to treat a specific condition the physician considers the side effects and, only if aware of other medications you are taking, can he or she factor in the added and possible complications. . Here are important recommendations gleaned from professional pharmacists:
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