If you suffer from asthma and have frequently used inhalers or nebulizer treatments containing albuterol or other medications, you might be surprised to learn that you could be at a higher risk of significant dental decay and gum disease. Even after treating the underlying issues, it's still possible that stained or discolored teeth still exist. That is often the result of the dry mouth commonly associated with those treatments as well as the irritation within your mouth that could occur following a breathing treatment or use of an inhaler. Therefore, if you have healthy teeth and gums, but your asthma has resulted in an imperfect smile, you should be aware of the following information.    

Understanding Spotted Or Discolored Teeth

It's first important to note that if your asthma first manifested during childhood and has required inhalers or breathing treatments, it might have contributed to the unfortunate spotting or discoloration of your teeth. If an infection ever caused you to need tetracycline as a child, it might also have caused your spotted teeth.  Alternatively, it is possible that the long-term use of a corticosteroid led to a pulp disease that required a root canal and now there is a noticeable difference in the color of your teeth. 

It is important to note that you will first need to make sure that any cavities, structural damage, and similar issues have been addressed. Few cosmetic dentists would work on teeth that were not healthy. In addition, some examples of cosmetic dentistry could worsen or cause pain to the affected area. 

Planning For The Improvements To Your Smile 

Assuming that your teeth are healthy, one option to discuss with your dentist is bleaching them, but doing so is not an appropriate choice for everyone. Bleached teeth provide only temporary improvements and don't work at all on capped or crowned teeth or those that have received root canals. In addition, if your stained teeth are caused by medication, you should not expect to be a candidate for bleaching. 

Instead, your cosmetic dentist might suggest the use of porcelain laminate veneers. Veneers are tiny structures that are customized to your specific needs and then cemented to the front of the teeth. They look and feel just like your own teeth and are often used for more than a decade, but require significant modifications to each tooth before having them put. Those modifications permit your teeth to have a uniform appearance, but those changes are not reversible. Therefore, you should plan to discuss your concerns with your cosmetic dentist in order to create a viable and appropriate care plan 

In conclusion, asthma is a common disease that has impacted the lives of millions of people in recent years. If managing your asthma has resulted in a flawed smile with healthy teeth, you're likely to find the information discussed above to be quite helpful.

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