Antidepressants are prescribed to help put a smile back on your face, but they may actually have the opposite effect - by aiding in the decay of your teeth, and therefore your smile.

One of the common side effects of antidepressants such as Prozac®, Paxil®, Elavil®, Wellbutrin®, Zoloft®, Remeron® and others is dry mouth, which can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections and other dental problems. In addition to antidepressants, most antihistamines, allergy medications and hundreds of other drugs can reduce saliva production, which leaves you susceptible to cavities, excess plaque, fungal infections in the mouth and bad breath. Your dry mouth problem (or "xerostomia" as it's professionally known) can be amplified if you're taking antidepressants in conjunction with one of the other common medications that list dry mouth as a possible side effect.

Signs of dry mouth include:

• Saliva that seems thick or stringy.
• Sores or split skin at the corners of your mouth.
• Bad breath.
• Difficulty speaking, swallowing.
• A burning or tingling sensation on your tongue.
• An altered sense of taste.
• Increased plaque, tooth decay and gum disease.

Most of us take saliva for granted, but it is actually an important natural defense system in the mouth. It protects the teeth by washing away sugars and not allowing bacteria to stick on the teeth long enough to promote the development of cavities. Saliva also lubricates the oral canal, aids in the flow of bacteria and food down the throat, and through its enzymes, helps to start the digestive process, too.

While it's important to recognize the effects of dry mouth resulting from your medications, it's imperative that you do not discontinue or change your antidepressant or other medications without professional advice.

Some tips to help prevent dental decay stemming from dry mouth include:

• Establishing a daily flossing routine and brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste after every meal.
• Switching from a mouthwash that contains alcohol to one especially made for dry-mouth sufferers.
• Chewing sugarless gum to help stimulate saliva production.
• Drinking more water - eight glasses a day, if possible.
• Ensuring a frequent - at least twice a year - schedule of professional dental cleanings.

If you're realizing that a lack of saliva is interfering with your enjoyment of food and the health of your teeth, make sure that you talk to us and to your doctor. You may not have to suffer with the inconvenience of dry mouth - your doctor may adjust the dosage of your medication or switch you to an alternate prescription, while we will keep an eye on your dental health and comfort.

Please keep us aware of the medications you are on, and make sure that you come in for a dental examination and cleaning at least every six months. 

Dieting can cause you to lose more than just unwanted weight; it may also result in slimming down your social schedule due to bad breath!

Bad breath can be a nasty side effect of today's popular low carbohydrate diets. The reason for this is that low-carb diets force the body to burn stored fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. As the excess fat gets burned away, the body releases ill-smelling chemicals called ketones through the breath and urine. If this isn't enough, the high-protein component of low-carb diets can also contribute to halitosis (as bad breath is officially known), since many cases of bad breath result from the breakdown of food particles that produce sulfur compounds, and high-protein foods are known producers of these compounds.

Dieting, fasting and the use of diet pills can slow down the production of saliva, which is known as "nature's mouthwash" due to its function in washing away bacteria and sulfur compounds in the mouth that cause halitosis. The decreased saliva output can also lead to dry mouth, which can put patients at risk for cavities and gum disease. When saliva is not present in the mouth to continuously flush foods away, food particles may adhere to teeth and begin the decay process.

If you are overweight any effort to slim down is a smart goal, as carrying around extra weight affects everything from your energy level to the risk of developing a chronic illness such as heart disease or diabetes. When it comes to dieting, many people go from fad to fad and suffer through long periods of sustaining themselves on grapefruits, cabbage soup or just high protein foods. While the short-term results of these diets may be immediately gratifying, the long-term effects invariably point to the nutritional imbalance of food groups within your diet, and once you go back to your regular eating habits your old weight tends to creep back up too.

Some smart weight loss tips that work for both your dental and your overall health include:

• A consultation with your doctor to discuss a sensible, well-balanced diet plan. A diet lacking in necessary nutrients can directly affect not only your overall health, but your oral health as well.
• A realistic weight loss goal. If your doctor agrees that 'realistic" means a pound a week, then your chances of maintaining this weight are much more likely than the higher weight loss promises of the latest fad.
• A regular workout regime. Try starting with brisk 30-minute walk around your neighborhood, several days a week. The fresh air will motivate you, and the price is right too!
• A commitment to drink lots of water. Not only does it help fill you up, but it helps keep your mouth moist to fight halitosis and flushes away food that may either stain or cause decay in your teeth.

Remember, weight loss is not a "quick fix." It is a lifestyle commitment that should lead not only to losing some pounds, but gaining a healthier future  

Here's a mystery - if we floss and brush before we go to bed and settle down to sleep with a fresh mouth every night, why is it that just mere hours later, we wake up with dreaded "morning breath"?

The simple answer is that during the day, saliva works as nature's mouthwash by washing away bacteria and the volatile sulfur particles that cause bad breath. When we go to sleep, saliva production decreases and our mouth dries out, providing the perfect environment for odor-causing bacteria to thrive.

Bad breath (or "halitosis", as it's officially known) can come from a number of different sources such as a dry mouth, bacterial decomposition of food particles in and around your teeth, and foods (such as garlic and cabbage) that contain certain sulfur compounds. Halitosis may also reflect medical conditions, from chronic infections in the lungs to kidney and liver failure. Even dieting and fasting can slow down the stimulation of saliva flow and result in offensive breath, while talking for long periods of time will dry out your mouth with the same result. Most everyday bad breath, however, can be controlled by following these four simple steps:

1. Floss between your teeth to remove any hidden food particles;
2. Brush your teeth after every meal, and brush your tongue too - up to 50% of the bacteria   in your mouth can be found hiding on the surface of your tongue;
3. Keep your mouth moist with frequent sips of water;
4. Maintain regular dental checkups so that your dentist can check for periodontal disease - a treatable cause of bad breath - during your routine gum exam.

Talk to us if your concerns go beyond morning breath. We'd be happy to give you some "fresh" oral hygiene tips. 

Do you experience constant headaches? Earaches and ringing in the ears? Pain, or clicking noises in your jaw? You may suffer from a temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

How do you sleep? Do you wake up tired, or is your sleep partner fatigued from staying awake due to your snoring? You may have sleep apnea.

Do you have diabetes? Diabetics require more frequent dental attention.

And how's your social life? If people step back or turn away when you get close to them to talk, you could have a problem with halitosis - commonly known as bad breath.

These common problems are only some of the many that Dr. Joboulian can help you with.

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) affects over 10 million people in North America. The temporomandibular joint, located in the front of the ear, allows us to open and close our mouths and move our jaws. If a person grinds or clenches their teeth, they can sometimes trigger TMD. Symptoms may include pain in the head, face, jaw neck and shoulders, earaches or ringing in the ears. Ask us about a dental appliance that may help.

Sleep Apnea is a potentially dangerous condition where a person has frequent episodes throughout the night in which he or she stops breathing. People with sleep apnea also tend to snore heavily. Consider visiting a sleep clinic, and talk to us about a dental appliance to keep your airway open and your breathing steady.  Make sure to ask Dr. Joboulian about his experience and positive outcome he received from visiting a sleep clinic. 

Diabetics tend to have a higher than average risk of periodontal (gum) disease. Bacteria thrive in the mouths of diabetics when there are high glucose levels present, and this increased level of bacteria, in conjunction with the patient's reduced ability to resist infection, can lead to an increased risk of gum disease.

Halitosis, or bad breath, can come from a number of different sources - a dry mouth, bacterial decomposition of food particles in and around your teeth, and foods that contain certain sulfur compounds. Halitosis may also reflect medical conditions - from regurgitation problems to chronic infections in the lungs to kidney and liver failure. Most everyday bad breath, however, can be controlled with good dental hygiene, and maintaining regular dental checkups so that we can check for periodontal disease - a treatable cause of bad breath - during your routine exam.