I never would have predicted it -- that a tooth could become a tool for dispensing medication. But the refinement of such a creation is actually in the works and before long, you may be asking not for a gold or decorative tooth but for one capable of doling out your drugs in the exact doses and at the right times.

Think about this:

Researchers from Europe and Israel are working right now on a tiny dispensing system called IntelliDrug. Their goal is to create parts small enough they can fit into a false tooth placed in the back of the mouth. The device will release a specific amount of medication at certain intervals so patients receive the proper dosage right on schedule.

This invention, crafted by an Israeli dentist, could pick up the slack for people who forget to take medicine and could save lives for those whose lives depend on scheduled drug therapy. It could also allow for better absorption of medication into the body.

The IntelliDrug device will deliver medicine directly into the bloodstream through the lining of the cheek around the mouth. Saliva, meanwhile, mixes with the drug and carries it throughout they body in a manner more efficient than just swallowing a pill every few hours.

While researchers hope to one day turn their device into a replacement tooth, the apparatus -- consisting of a stainless steel housing, a pump, custom valves, a microprocessor, batteries, and a reservoir for the drug pill -- currently comes in the form of a block the size of two teeth. It is strapped to the the side of teeth and hugs the inside of the cheek. The unit can be removed, and a technician can refill the drug reservoir, clean the unit, and change batteries when necessary.

Clinical trials on pigs are ongoing. Human testing is expected to begin by the end of the year.

Dry mouth (xerostomia), is most commonly caused by radiation therapy directed at the head and neck region of the body. Radiation may irreversibly affect the production and quality of saliva in the salivary glands. A number of medications can also induce xerostomia. Dry mouth may affect the patients speech, taste sensation and ability to swallow.

Many patients complain of a sore or burning sensation, cracked lips, and fissures in the corners of the mouth. There is also an increased risk of cavities and mouth disease due to less saliva to cleanse the teeth and gums.

There are now some means of preventing xerostomia that were not available a few years ago. Amifostine, a radiation protector of normal tissues, has been shown to protect the salivary glands when given daily with radiation therapy. Also, a treatment known as Proton therapy may allow the radiation oncologist to spare the salivary glands from getting significant radiation doses. This may prevent dry mouth in the future. If you are getting radiation therapy to the head and neck region, you should discuss these options with your radiation oncologist. If you have developed xerostomia, there are management strategies that can effectively deal with your dry mouth and prevent cavities and periodontal disease.

Try to follow these simple guidelines:

• Perform oral hygiene at least four times a day. (After each meal and before bedtime)
• The oral cavity should be rinsed and wiped immediately after meals
• Dentures need to be brushed and rinsed after meals
• Only use toothpaste with fluoride when brushing
• Keep water handy to keep the mouth moist at all times
• Apply prescription strength fluoride gel at bedtime
• Rinse with salt and baking soda solution 4-6 times a day
• Avoid liquids and foods with high sugar content
• Avoid rinses containing alcohol
• Use moisturizer regularly on lips
• Oral pilocarpine (Salagen) is the only drug approved by the FDA to stimulate saliva secretion from the remaining salivary glands.

I didn't know what was coming when I plopped myself down in the waiting room of an Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic yesterday -- which is a good thing. Had I known what doctors would do to me, I may have run the other way. I may have learned to live with the pain I was experiencing each time I swallowed food. But I waited patiently, aware that doctors would "scope" my esophagus, mildly certain the procedure could be uncomfortable, completely unprepared for the full "scope" experience.

I swallowed a pill on Friday night -- not even a whole pill, just a half of one pill -- and it hurt when it went down my throat. I've had the feeling before, a sensation like the pill got stuck, but the discomfort has always gone away within a few hours. This time, it lasted. It hurt to swallow saliva. It hurt to swallow food. It just hurt. So after three days, I took myself to the clinic -- with the subtle worry that cancer was settling in my esophagus.

I know rationally that every ache and pain I experience is not cancer. But I've had cancer. And so I constantly battle a nagging fear lodged deep in my head that reminds me cancer is always a possibility, that cancer is often a shocking outcome of a routine little test for a simple little health concern.

I do not have cancer. I do not have cancer of the throat, voice box, esophagus, or stomach. That's the good news. The scope revealed -- via a tiny camera that traveled through my body -- nothing but healthy tissue. That makes me happy. The test did not make me happy.

I now know the scope is a long, thin tube that enters the body through one nostril. Ouch. It travels into the throat. Ouch. The patient swallows when it reaches the throat to assist in maneuvering it down further. Ouch. The scope then makes its way past the voice box, though the esophagus, and into the stomach. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. The travels are all displayed on a monitor, and I actually got a glimpse of these body parts -- during the split second when I was able to control my gagging, loosen my grip on the arms of the exam chair, and open my clinched eyes. So I saw for myself that everything looks healthy -- just before the tube was pulled right back through all these parts, leaving me with a very sore throat.

Now that I am home and have talked with a few people, I hear that some patients are unconscious for this procedure. They are completely unaware of the horrors of the scope. I got a few sprays to numb my nose and throat and drank a thick cocktail of lidocaine -- but I did not get the luxury of unconsciousness. And in the end that is okay. I got to see what was happening. I got to hear the doctor's revelation that nothing major is wrong. I got to witness the wonder of medical technology. I got to prove to myself that I can handle a little discomfort in exchange for a clean bill of health. And I got to learn that I have a bit of acid reflux. And now I have to squash that nagging fear that reminds me of the literature out there suggesting a link between acid reflux and cancer.

Studies show that nighttime heartburn increases the risk of developing other serious conditions, including cancer of the esophagus. Day or night, chronic reflux can gradually damage the esophagus. It may lead to inflammation and scar tissue that narrows the esophagus. In some people, chronic heartburn can lead to Barrett's esophagus, changes in the cells that increase the risk of esophageal cancer. But nighttime heartburn tends to leave acid in the esophagus longer, and therefore may cause more damage than daytime heartburn.

Healing Heartburn written by Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD and Brian E. Lacy, MD of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD discusses how acids from the stomach can cause serious damage to the esophagus if left untreated. It can also cause chronic insomnia and difficulty working through the pain.

Some common ways to help stop heartburn are not eating two or three hours before you go to bed; putting blocks under the top of the mattress to elevate the head 4 to 6 inches; chewing gum to increase saliva which coats the esophagus with natural bicarbonate; and avoiding foods that can lead to heartburn -- such as alcohol, chocolate, coffee, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, pepper, vinegar, catsup and mustard, and spicy or fatty foods.

As in most cases where natural remedies and diets will not take care of the situation, you should consult your doctor for a more complete check up and diagnosis.