{"id":27,"date":"2022-06-01T00:31:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T00:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planodentaldistinction.com\/blog\/?p=27"},"modified":"2022-11-22T00:33:18","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T00:33:18","slug":"are-your-medications-staining-your-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planodentaldistinction.com\/blog\/are-your-medications-staining-your-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Your Medications Staining Your Teeth?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The medications you take are designed to improve your health, but sometimes there\u2019s a price to be paid in terms of side effects. More specifically, certain medications can leave your teeth discolored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this month\u2019s blog post,\u00a0Dr. Mohammed Mansour<\/a>\u00a0and the expert oral health\u00a0team<\/a>\u00a0here at Plan Dental Distinction take a closer look at the medications that can stain your teeth and what we can do to restore your pearly whites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Certain antibiotics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The biggest offenders when it comes to staining teeth are the antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline, especially when taken as a child. When you were a child, your teeth were in the development phase. If you had to take tetracycline or doxycycline, these antibiotics attached themselves to the calcium that was forming your teeth, leaving your enamel stained yellow, brown, or gray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the two, tetracycline binds more readily to calcium \u2014 nearly 40% versus 19% for doxycycline<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, doctors understand this more and steer clear of prescribing these antibiotics in young children and in pregnant women. For those who took the medications when they were younger, however, the damage is done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too much of a good thing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While fluoride is essential for strong enamel, you can develop stains on your teeth if you\u2019re exposed to too much. This condition is known as fluorosis and typically occurs in kids younger than eight who take in too much fluoride through a combination of toothpaste, fluoride treatments, drinking water, or supplements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medications that cause dry mouth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of different medications that can lead to dry mouth, which means you don\u2019t have enough saliva. Without saliva, your teeth aren\u2019t able to fight off bacteria as well, which can lead to tooth decay and teeth staining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list of medications that reference dry mouth as a possible side effect is long, but here are a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n