During the cold and flu seasons, you will find many remedies to battle the symptoms. If you start sniffing of coughing, you may find yourself reaching for a bottle of cough syrup. Although this can ease discomfort, it can cause tooth decay among users.

How Does Cough Syrup Work?
Before you understand its adverse impact on dental health, you should know how it works. Are you aware that there are two main types of cough syrup? Each of them works differently. The first category is expectorants, which thins out the gunk that may be causing blockages in your airways. Your body tries to clear out these areas through coughing to avoid choking, which can cause death. Thinner mucus reduces the chances of hacking the lungs out. The other common treatment is cough suppressants. This type of syrup tells the brain to stop coughing or reduce the urge to do so. The drawback of using them is that they may be ineffective if you have a wet cough. Some medical professionals advise patients to avoid using them if the mucus is closing up the airways. Both medications can only treat symptoms. Therefore, they may not treat the causes. Even if you feel better after taking cough syrups, you are likely to start coughing again not too long after taking them.

What Is Cough Syrup Made Of?
The cough treatments often contain high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sucrose, and alcohol. All these ingredients may have a detrimental effect on your oral health. Sugars are used to sweeten the syrups. It’s common knowledge that consuming excessive sugar can damage the teeth.

When a Greek philosopher observed that sugars are common causes of tooth decay, many people did not believe him. With time, there has been an increasing amount of evidence about his observation. The sugar in your medicine on its own is not the cause of the problem. Rather, it’s the events that take place afterwards.

The Harms Of Cough Syrup
Several types of bacteria live in your mouth. Some of them are beneficial, while others are not. According to some studies, a group of harmful bacteria produce acid in your mouth when you consume sugars. The acids remove minerals from the enamel of your teeth. The enamel is the shiny layer that protects your teeth. This process is known as demineralization. When that happens, your saliva reverses the damage through re-mineralization. Fluoride, water, and the minerals in the saliva enable the enamel to repair itself by providing the minerals lost when the teeth are exposed to acids. This will strengthen your teeth. However, if there are frequent acid attacks, there will be mineral loss in the enamel.

With time, this will weaken and destroy your enamel, resulting in cavities, which are holes caused by tooth decay. This is the result of harmful bacteria in your mouth digesting sugars in cough syrups and releasing acids. If this is not treated immediately, cavities may spread into other deeper layers of your tooth. If that happens, you will feel pain, and it may result in tooth loss. Some of the most common signs of tooth decay include increased sensitivity to hot or cold drinks, toothache, and pain while chewing. Sugar attracts bad bacteria. The destructive bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar in the medicines and form dental plaque.

If brushing your teeth or your saliva does not wash away the film, your mouth will become more acidic, leading to the formation of cavities. When the plaque's pH drops below the normal range, the acids will dissolve minerals and damage the enamel. With time, there will be erosions and will enlarge until you notice a cavity.

How to Maintain Oral Hygiene Even When You Feel Lousy
You can take some measures to ensure your teeth are healthy even if you consume the sugar in cough syrups. First, consider taking the medication with soup or what you have prepared for dinner. This means there will be more saliva in the mouth, and you will have something else to clean your teeth. Once you have taken the syrups, brush your teeth thoroughly using fluoride. If you cannot brush, ensure you rinse your mouth by taking more water. Alternatively, rinse your mouth using mouthwash after taking the medicine.

Flu season is approaching, and many will be quick to pick up some cough syrup. Look into some natural remedies before choosing this sugary option. In addition, remember to be hydrating your body with enough water. If you’ve been consuming loads of sugar, visit us at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa for a dental checkup. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!