Medication relieves pain, fights inflammation or puts a stop to bacteria. Modern dentistry or Desert Valley Oral Surgery is unimaginable without drugs. Powders and pills are not magic bullets, and of course, they cannot replace daily dental care. But in the fight against tooth decay and the like, medication provides valuable services.
How are drugs used in dentistry and Desert Valley Oral Surgery?
When it comes to pharmaceuticals, there are two challenges to overcome. The doctor has to select the right active ingredient, and the product has to get to where it is supposed to work. There are basically two ways of administering medication:
Systemic: The active ingredient is “packaged” in tablets, pills or coated tablets that you swallow. The drug enters the blood through the digestive tract and is distributed throughout the body. The dentist will often prescribe pain relievers and antibiotics in tablet form.
Local: Here, the drug is administered to the point where it is supposed to work – namely in the mouth or throat. In dentistry, gels, solutions, tinctures, varnishes, ointments and pastes are mainly used.
The advantage of topical application is the lower side effects because the active ingredient is used exactly where it is supposed to work. But when the focus of the disease is deeper in the tissue or inside the tooth, topical drugs are often not effective enough.
Antibiotics in Desert Valley Oral Surgery: declaring war on harmful bacteria
Antibiotics are available in the form of tablets, injections, or locally effective drops or gels. The latter is used to treat inflamed gum pockets, for example.
The dentist will only use antibiotics in exceptional cases for serious infections. On the one hand, they can cause side effects such as nausea or diarrhoea. On the other hand, bacterial pathogens often cannot be outwitted in the long term. They develop resistance to the active ingredients. The antibiotic then no longer works, which is a big problem in the long term.
In order to avoid resistance, it is important that you strictly adhere to the dosage and duration of use prescribed by your doctor.
Medicines in Desert Valley Oral Surgery: as much as necessary, as little as possible
Every drug can have undesirable effects. Interactions with other tablets should also be considered. In order to assess possible risks, the dentist should know which other preparations you are taking.
In general, the drugs used in dentistry today are well tolerated. Yet they are no silver bullets. They only work in combination with careful dental hygiene and a tooth-friendly lifestyle.