I Love To Suck on Lozenges. Is It Harmful for My Teeth?
Posted on 2/2/2024 by Weo Admin
Lozenges are perfect for adults when they have a cough, a sore throat, nausea, or even to get some essential vitamins. While lozenges are great over-the-counter medications to help get over a cold or calm your stomach, does sucking on a lozenge all the time damage your teeth? Here is the scoop.
Why Lozenges?
Many people use lozenges for a variety of purposes. First, lozenges help get medication into a person slowly, which means people can get relief from cold symptoms for hours at a time. They are also easier for some people to use instead of swallowing pills or liquids. For people who have digestive issues, ginger lozenges can help with nausea and stomach distress over a period of time. Lozenges are also a great way to get vitamins and minerals you may not get from your regular diet. Lozenges can even give you pain relief from a sore throat.
What Are Lozenges Made Of?
Even the healthiest lozenges have many things that may not be great for your teeth or gums. All lozenges have sugar in them - usually cane sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. Some lozenges have artificial coloring as well, which adds chemicals to your body that you may not need.
Do Not Overuse Them
Bacteria that cause disease in your mouth feed on sugar - the same sugar you take in when you use lozenges. Also, many people suck on lozenges for hours, which means the sugar is likely to stay on your teeth for hours as well. The longer you allow the sugar to stay on your teeth and gums, the more likely you are to have increased levels of bacteria, which may mean an increase in tooth decay and gum disease.
There are some steps you can take to minimize any negative impacts of lozenges in your mouth. First, drink more water. This increases your saliva production, which washes the bacteria out of your mouth. Second, brush and floss your teeth regularly to clean them of excess sugar. Third, be sure that you go for cleaning and examinations with our dentists so they can advise you if you need to cut back on those lozenges.
About Us - Tuscumbia, AL • Singing River Dentistry Click here to learn more about all aspects of our practice at Singing River Dentistry in Tuscumbia, AL. Singing River Dentistry, 121 E 6th St, Tuscumbia, AL 35674-2413 / 256-712-2240 / tuscumbia.singingriverdentistry.com / 11/15/2024 / Tags: dentist Tuscumbia AL /
Lozenges are perfect for adults when they have a cough, a sore throat, nausea, or even to get some essential vitamins. While lozenges are great over-the-counter medications to help get over a cold or calm your stomach, does sucking on a lozenge all the time damage your teeth? Here is the scoop.