Dental Diaries: Expiration dates

I had a senior patient in yesterday. She was mentioning that she thought she was coming down with her first cold in several years. She was lucky she had some cold medicine and Tylenol in her cabinet in case she needed them. I asked her when her last checked expiration dates of the products. She said she hadn't thought about it. I gently reminded her that it is very important to check to make sure that what you have is still usable.

We all have products that get used more than others. Some materials, drugs, or even food may be sitting on our shelves for longer than we remember. Unless you do a total product sweep of your cabinets and storage areas, you will never know what is "fresh" and what should be tossed.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS.

When my father passed away several years ago, we went through his pantry to give cans of food to shelters. Upon checking, at least 50% of the cans (on higher, less used shelves) were expired. This is not unique to my forgetful dad. Since he lived alone, we did not do this check very often, maybe once a year on a holiday.

We all have a few things still hanging around past the expiration date. I am no exception. And seniors are notorious for not checking the dates because, frankly, they can't always see the small print on cans, jars, and packages.

But what about medications on the shelf? Pharmacies rarely put expiration dates on products. Yes, for the most part, we are supposed to consume the entire contents of a prescription and toss out the bottle. But what about the prophylactic antibiotics or pain medications? Even vitamins. They are used as needed (or remembered), and it may not be known how long their shelf life is. We have the date of purchase on the prescription bottle, but we do not know how long that product had been sitting on the pharmacist's shelf.

Dentally speaking, it is always good to check the expiration dates of infrequently used products in our armamentarium. Toothpaste samples may have been stored with the freshest on the top. Dental materials may be at or close to expiration dates and should be evaluated.

Talking to our patients about checking expiration dates is smart practice. Something free that shows we care about their well-being, aside from dental restorations. My patient was very grateful that I called this to her attention. She may not need the cold medication, but she will be certain not to take something that had expired three years ago. Let's make November "Expiration Date Check Month." It is good for everyone.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS, practices clinical dentistry in Lincolnwood, IL. She has served as an educator in several dental and dental hygiene programs, has been a consultant for a major dental benefits company, and has written for several dental publications. Most recently, she was the editor of Woman Dentist Journal and Woman Dentist eJournal. You can reach her at [email protected].

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