Dry Mouth

At Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A., Dr. Samuel Meghadri provides quality dental care for all patients. He’s familiar with all oral and dental conditions, including Xerostomia. This is commonly referred to as Dry Mouth. This disorder makes all everyday tasks difficult. From simple things like talking, chewing, and swallowing, your entire quality of life is lowered. We recommend you contact our offices in Neshanic Station and Somerville, NJ, right away.

 

It may seem weird to think about, but your saliva plays an important role in your everyday life! It is necessary for your dental health. Saliva cleans your mouth while also removing any leftover food debris. Without a normal amount of spit, your teeth aren’t properly sanitized. You are at risk for tooth decay and plaque. Scheduling an appointment right away with your Neshanic Station and Somerville, NJ, dentist is the best course of action.

 

The first important step is determining what is causing your dry mouth. Dr. Meghadri will ask you a few precursory questions. Be forthcoming with any relevant medical history and current medications. At the moment, there are over 500 different medications that cause dry mouth. Do your research before taking any medication. Even if it seems harmless, there’s always a chance of a negative reaction. You might want to talk to your prescribing physician about going on an alternative medication. Autoimmune disorders also put you at risk. Certain conditions, like Sjögren's syndrome, are characterized by salivary dysfunction. Medical treatments are also a possible cause. Chemotherapy is known to create dry mouth.

 

Your treatment depends entirely on what is causing the condition to manifest. Regardless, we have a few general tips for reducing your dry mouth symptoms. Start by reducing your sugar intake. Try cutting out things like soda, tea, alcohol, and coffee. Replace these with simple H2O. Water keeps your saliva flowing and your mouth fresh. You can also invest in certain over-the-counter treatments. Look at your local grocery store or supermarket for these products. They provide dry mouth relief in toothpaste, mouthwash, and gel form.

 

Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. is located in Neshanic Station and Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Samuel Meghadri, visit our website or call. For the Neshanic Station office, call 908-782-4418. To reach the Somerville office, dial 908-725-0400.

Asthma and Oral Health

People with asthma face particular oral health challenges. They have heightened levels of dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, and are more vulnerable to tooth decay as a result. The staff at Bridge Smiles Dental Group in Somerset County works hard to take each patient’s oral health needs into account when providing treatment, and we want patients with asthma to understand how they may be affected.

Inflammation in the nose leads many people to breathe through their mouths. This is a problem for oral health because saliva plays a crucial part in neutralizing acid that would otherwise erode enamel and trigger gum recession. Saliva also helps to dislodge bacterial build-up. Asthma patients may additionally suffer from acid reflux due to taking muscle relaxants for their throats that also open the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach. Another risk is from sugars in inhalant medication that can coat the mouth, so patients may want to use it prior to brushing their teeth at night.

We don’t advise asthma patients to change their medications without consulting with their doctors, but if they’ve developed gingivitis, they may want to inquire about alternatives. If a patient is suffering from dry mouth, they may try a throat moisturizer or stimulating new saliva production by chewing sugar free gum.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.

 

Lip Care in Winter

With more winter weather to look forward to, we at Bridge Smiles Dental Group want to make sure our patients, and especially, those wearing braces, know how to care for their lips. Cold air cannot retain much moisture and high winds make some chapping likely, but there are precautions which can reduce the risk of irritation to the mouth’s soft tissues.

Outside, the only real option is to keep a scarf wrapped tightly around the face, but inside, you can make some modifications to the environment. It’s a good idea to have a humidifier in the bedroom and anywhere else you need to spend a long time. Avoid hot, long showers, since they dry the skin out faster. Applying lip balm several times a day, including before bed is helpful as long as you’re not allergic to the ingredients. If your lips get red and swollen after applying the balm, check the ingredients for menthol and switch products.

Since the air is drier this time of year, people who suffer from dry mouth are going to be particularly at risk. Any sort of breathing issue which could be contributing to dryness needs to be investigated. Avoid wetting the lips with saliva, since saliva evaporates quickly, taking more moisture with it. If you have braces and are suffering from irritation, they should apply dental wax to their brackets in large quantities. Do not attempt to protect the lips by folding them under the teeth, as this will further inflame them and may cause tooth migration.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.