I am a 45 year old male and have been taking pain meds daily since 2005. I have been on many different meds all giving you dry mouth. Now I was told along time ago I had gum disease. My teeth are falling out, two in the front in the last six months. And the two in the very front are lose. Some one told me that because of the constant dry mouth it can cause you to eventually to lose your teeth? has anyone heard of this?

Hi bret,

Yes, you can have all sorts of dental problems from medications that cause a decrease in the amount of saliva that you are producing. Anytime you have periodontal disease you have a chronic bacterial infection which is traveling through your bloodstream. It is important to see your dentist to get this disease under control which often means removing the teeth that are in guarded to hopeless condition, having the teeth that are still healthy professionally cleaned and make every effort to maintain excellent oral health hygiene on a daily basis. Your meds will continue to cause dental problems but they can be minimal if you do the above things.

Periodontal disease is NOT limited to just the gums. It is a systemic (whole body) disease that will affect your overall health. I know it is hard to think about losing your teeth at such an early age. But the fact is..... it will be the first step to living a healthier life.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Hope you see your dentist soon!

Bryanna