Herbal Medications vs. Conventional Drugs
Although many of the prescription and
over-the-counter drugs used today are derived from plants, there is a big
difference between the two. Conventional drugs, which must be approved for use
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are based on an active ingredient.
Manufacturers find a chemical that provides a desired response when taken into
the body, and then they synthesize that chemical. In other words, a conventional
drug is based on a chemical that is made in a laboratory, even though it may
have originally come from a plant.
Herbal or botanical medications are taken
from the natural chemicals within a plant. Either the extract is taken in its
original form, sometimes combined with other herbal extracts, or it is refined.
When an herbal medication is refined, the essential extract is taken out of the
plant source, concentrated and then added back to make the original herbal
medication more potent.
Why do I need to tell my dentist if I take herbal supplements?
Always tell your dentist about all
medications and supplements you are taking and how much you take. From vitamins
to Echinacea, everything you put in your body causes a certain reaction, and
some alternative medicines are very potent. That reaction can interfere with
medications your dentist gives you or enhance them to cause a much stronger
reaction. If your dentist doesn't know what drugs or supplements you have taken,
he or she will not know how to protect you from possible substance interactions.
Drug Combinations to Avoid
Even the most common herbal and vitamin
supplements can have serious side effects for some patients. Blood thinners,
such as the popular ginkgo biloba, and even vitamin E can be dangerous when
taken with aspirin, which also acts as a blood thinner. Because this may cause a
situation in which some patients' blood will have difficulty clotting, serious
surgical procedures should be avoided after taking such a combination of
supplements.
Vitamins can be dangerous as well, if you
aren't careful. Vitamin C, when taken in the thousands of grams, can cause
problems and weaken the efficiency of anesthesia. On the other hand, if you are
taking a calming supplement, such as kava kava or St. John's wort, this can
enhance the effects of the anesthesia your dentist gives you and cause
problems.
Reviewed: January 2012
Why Tell Dentists About Supplements?
It is important that your dentist has all
the information, including your medical history, herbal medication and
conventional drugs you are taking. If your dentist knows that you are taking a
medication that can interact with something he or she is planning on giving you,
there are a variety of solutions from which to choose. Your dentist may have you
stop taking the herbal medication until the treatment is over or choose a
different drug for treatment, if one is available. There are so many new
alternative medications on the market today that a dentist may not know about
all of them and their side effects. If your dentist is not familiar with the
medication, he or she will make it his or her job to find out if a treatment is
safe for your situation.
Many patients who take alternative
medicines may not tell their dentist. They are afraid the dentist will not
respect their decision to take an herbal medication and might tell them to stop
taking it. The truth is, as herbal medications become more popular, many
dentists are beginning to use them in their practices. Your dentist might even
have an alternative, herbal solution for you.
Reviewed: January
2012
Credits: Academy of General Dentistry
Although many of the prescription and
over-the-counter drugs used today are derived from plants, there is a big
difference between the two. Conventional drugs, which must be approved for use
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are based on an active ingredient.
Manufacturers find a chemical that provides a desired response when taken into
the body, and then they synthesize that chemical. In other words, a conventional
drug is based on a chemical that is made in a laboratory, even though it may
have originally come from a plant.
Herbal or botanical medications are taken
from the natural chemicals within a plant. Either the extract is taken in its
original form, sometimes combined with other herbal extracts, or it is refined.
When an herbal medication is refined, the essential extract is taken out of the
plant source, concentrated and then added back to make the original herbal
medication more potent.
Why do I need to tell my dentist if I take herbal supplements?
Always tell your dentist about all
medications and supplements you are taking and how much you take. From vitamins
to Echinacea, everything you put in your body causes a certain reaction, and
some alternative medicines are very potent. That reaction can interfere with
medications your dentist gives you or enhance them to cause a much stronger
reaction. If your dentist doesn't know what drugs or supplements you have taken,
he or she will not know how to protect you from possible substance interactions.
Drug Combinations to Avoid
Even the most common herbal and vitamin
supplements can have serious side effects for some patients. Blood thinners,
such as the popular ginkgo biloba, and even vitamin E can be dangerous when
taken with aspirin, which also acts as a blood thinner. Because this may cause a
situation in which some patients' blood will have difficulty clotting, serious
surgical procedures should be avoided after taking such a combination of
supplements.
Vitamins can be dangerous as well, if you
aren't careful. Vitamin C, when taken in the thousands of grams, can cause
problems and weaken the efficiency of anesthesia. On the other hand, if you are
taking a calming supplement, such as kava kava or St. John's wort, this can
enhance the effects of the anesthesia your dentist gives you and cause
problems.
Reviewed: January 2012
Why Tell Dentists About Supplements?
It is important that your dentist has all
the information, including your medical history, herbal medication and
conventional drugs you are taking. If your dentist knows that you are taking a
medication that can interact with something he or she is planning on giving you,
there are a variety of solutions from which to choose. Your dentist may have you
stop taking the herbal medication until the treatment is over or choose a
different drug for treatment, if one is available. There are so many new
alternative medications on the market today that a dentist may not know about
all of them and their side effects. If your dentist is not familiar with the
medication, he or she will make it his or her job to find out if a treatment is
safe for your situation.
Many patients who take alternative
medicines may not tell their dentist. They are afraid the dentist will not
respect their decision to take an herbal medication and might tell them to stop
taking it. The truth is, as herbal medications become more popular, many
dentists are beginning to use them in their practices. Your dentist might even
have an alternative, herbal solution for you.
Reviewed: January
2012
Credits: Academy of General Dentistry