Medication

Drugs such as oral contraceptives, antibiotics, antidepressants and high blood pressure medication can affect your oral hygiene and possibly prove to be a gum disease cause. On each visit to your dental professional, it is important to tell him or her about any medications you are currently taking.

A press release from June 2, 2003 in Chicago revealed that a case report published in the current issue of Journal of Periodontology presented evidence that minocycline, a frequently prescribed antibiotic used in treating acne and rheumatoid arthritis can cause the teeth and jaw bone to discolor, which in turn may cause gum tissue to turn blackish-blue in hue. Patients who take this drug and physicians who prescribe it should be mindful of the possibility of oral discoloration.