Can Birth Control Impact the Health of Your Gums?

Birth control used to have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone in them. This increase in hormones can wreak havoc in your mouth, including sensitivity, bleeding, swollen gums and an increased chance of cavities. But there is good news, not only can you keep your smile healthy by brushing and flossing, eating healthy, drinking water and visiting your dentist regularly, but birth control pills now have less hormones in them than the birth control of the past.

However, it is critical that you let your dentist know if you are on birth control. While it may not impact your smile, they need to know incase they decide to write a prescription for something that may decrease the effectiveness of your birth control. It is also important to know that your mouth and body may react differently to hormone levels and if you begin to notice any problems it is critical that you get it taken care of right away.

The other area you may be impacted is called, “dry socket.” Dry socket can be painful and is when you have radiating pain from the bone being exposed after an extraction. If this occurs you will want to contact Dr. Strutz and her team.  

For more information on the dental risks of high hormone levels contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.

Sleep Is Critical

Sleep is the critical component that restarts your body and mind. Without restorative and restful sleep, your body can slowly begin to break down and not work as well as it should. Here are 4 tips from Dr. JudithStrutz to help decrease the impact of sleep apnea.

1.     Avoid caffeine before bed. Drinking coffee, caffeinated tea or soda can decrease your body’s ability to shut down and sleep. Dr. Strutz says, “Caffeine enters the body through the bloodstream very quickly and can leave your body feeling the effects long after bedtime.”

2.     Stop watching television at least a half-hour prior to bedtime. T.V. helps keep the mind moving forward and processing images that we saw on the screen. It becomes a stimulate similar to caffeine. Reading a book, or listening to calming music instead can help you drift off to a restful sleep.

3.     Reduce food with high level of sugar in it prior to sleeping. Similar to caffeine large amounts of sugar can stimulate the body and keep you awake. “The sugar enters the blood stream and then increases hormones,” says Dr. Judy Strutz.

4.     Get help you if you have sleep apnea. A dental mouth guard can help open up the airway in order to prevent your airway from closing at night. The snore guard is fitted perfectly to your mouth and should be comfortable to wear.