Put Your Health Where Your Mouth Is
Growing up, you probably heard a lot about how good oral hygiene could help prevent cavities. Now, science is saying that taking care of your mouth will not only help you avoid that dreaded visit to the dentist chair but maybe even a trip to the doctor or hospital.
The disease connection
Growing study evidence suggests that your oral health can affect your whole health, and gum disease can increase your chances of heart attack and stroke, worsen blood glucose control for diabetes and even adversely affect pregnancy by causing premature and low birth-weight babies. Researchers now believe that oral bacteria from dental plaque along and below the gum line can enter the bloodstream promoting harmful plaque and inflammation in arteries and various organs.
New help for oral care
Good oral hygiene is the best defence against gum disease and its potentially negative effects on your health. Rexall™ pharmacies carry a wide selection of oral health products to care for your teeth and gums - from antiseptic mouthwash to dental floss and whitening products. Here are some of the product innovations you’ll find in our stores:
- Toothpaste that fights cavities, gingivitis, plaque, tartar, sensitivity, freshens breath, and/or whitens teeth
- Manual and electric toothbrushes that clean teeth better and more easily - the latter are great for people with limited dexterity (i.e., young children, arthritis sufferers)
- Oral rinses with antibacterial, plaque-fighting, and/or breath-freshening properties
- Dental floss that can move easily between tight teeth, expands in wider gaps, and manual and electric flossers to help guide your floss.
Did You Know?
A number of medications can affect your teeth and gums:
- Tricyclic antidepressants and antihistamines can cause dry mouth (xerostomia), which allows bacteria to breed. Saliva’s job is to rinse bacteria away.
- Some anti-epileptics and calcium channel blockers can cause gum overgrowth (gingival hyperplasia), making it tough to remove plaque
- Oral or injectable contraceptives can cause red, bleeding, swollen gums (hormonal gingivitis)
- Tetracycline, an antibiotic, is known to cause yellowing tooth discolouration in children whose mothers took it while pregnant.
Ask your Rexall™ Family Pharmacist about how your medication may be affecting your oral health, and what you can do. In many cases, your doctor can adjust your dose or change your medication if necessary.
