Some medical treatments such as radiation therapy can actually permanently damage the salivary glands. And more than 400 kinds of medications list dry mouth as a side effect. The more common drugs include decongestants, diuretics, anti-hypertensives, anti-depressants, and antihistamines.
If you lose one or more permanent teeth, an indentation may result in the gums and jawbone where the tooth used to be. When no longer holding a tooth in place, the jawbone recedes and the resulting indentation looks unnatural. Ridge augmentation is a procedure that can recapture the natural contour of the gums and jaw. A new tooth can then be created that is natural looking and complements your smile.
