Dr. Smith grew up in Miami Florida where he graduated from Miami Palmetto Sr High School. In 1986 he graduated with honors from the University of Central Florida where he received a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. In May 1990 he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. After Dental School, Dr. Smith accepted a position at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Virginia as a General Practice Resident. The two year hospital based program had heavy emphasis on medically compromised veterans. The second year of the program, Dr. Smith served as Chief Dental Resident. Dr. Smith went into private practice in July, 1992. He moved to Moneta, Virginia in 1997 where Dr. Smith practiced until August, 2013.
Dr. Smith and his wife Annette live on Smith Mountain Lake where they enjoy boating with their children, grandchildren, and their two Airdales. They also enjoy camping and road trips on their Harley Davidson Roadglide.
For many, it is just annoying, and not a serious problem. But for some it can lead to other serious conditions. Saliva keeps the tissues in our mouths well lubricated, keeps out teeth clean, and helps digest food. Inadequate saliva can be uncomfortable, lead to problems eating and speaking, and contribute to tooth decay.
While aging itself is responsible for some dry mouth, most cases are due to the side effects of medications. There are literally hundreds of medications that list it as a side effect. Our team at Timberlake Family Dentistry can help determine the particular causes of your dry mouth, and help rule out rarer but more serious conditions.
If a medication is the cause, your physician may be able to prescribe an alternate medication. Many common sense approaches will also help, including taking frequent sips of water and stimulating saliva with sugar free gum or candy. Reducing your intake of caffeine, carbonated beverages and alcohol may also help.
Consult our team at Timberlake Family Dentistry to rule out some serious conditions that reduce the flow of saliva. Once we have ruled out other causes, we will recommend some simple remedies. There are also some oral rinses and artificial saliva products available. We will recommend that you be especially vigilant about oral hygiene, since inadequate saliva can increase your chance of tooth decay.