Cough remedies like suppressing syrups or soothing drops help to ease your discomfort, however they not only have the traditional side effects like dizziness and queasiness that go hand in hand with any medication, they can also contribute to tooth decay.
The ingredients in many popular over-the-counter medications have been proven to lead to tooth decay and cavities.
High Fructose Corn Syrup & Sucrose
This duo of sugars is particularly dangerous to teeth. When these ingredients enter the mouth, bacteria begin to feed on them. This causes the sugars to break down into acids which are dangerous to the tooth enamel.
Alcohol
Alcohol reduces saliva production and may cause a mouth to become dry. In a normal mouth, quite a bit of saliva is produced every day – about 10,000 gallons in a lifetime! This saliva is great for the health of teeth since it helps wash away the dangerous sugars and acids that can lead to cavities.
So should you just suffer through the annoying symptoms of a cold? Not necessarily. There are a few ways to decrease your risk of cough syrup induced tooth damage.
From all of us at my Mill Creek dental office, we hope you’re having a healthy winter. However, if this cold and flu season isn’t so kind and you find yourself under the weather, be careful of how and when you take cough medicine, and keep your teeth healthy in the process.
Serving patients from Mill Creek, Bothell, Everett, and surrounding areas.
Call Today To Schedule An Appointment!
Call 425-287-6855