Patients
who use antidepressant medications may be at increased risk for significant
adverse dental effects
Patients who
use antidepressant medication may be at increased risk for significant
adverse dental effects, according to an article in the January issue
of the Journal of the American Dental Association. "Potential
adverse effects and interactions with other medications have direct
implications for dental treatment," concluded the researchers
from a university school of dental medicine.
For example, patients who develop dry mouth
(xerostomia) due to their medication may have an increased risk
for serious tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, oral yeast infections,
and other health problems in the tissues of the mouth.
Other potential adverse effects of antidepressant
medications include orthostatic hypertension and interaction with
vasoconstrictive agents. The authors noted that other medications,
if administered at the same time, could increase those adverse effects.
In the retrospective study, the authors reviewed
randomly selected records of patients undergoing dental therapy.
Of the 1,800 records, 21 percent (381) indicated treatment with
various antidepressants. Almost 58 percent of people in the antidepressant
group were receiving treatment with 2 or more medications that had
potential for dry mouth. In addition, 67 percent of the people in
the antidepressant group took an antidepressant or other medication
with potential for orthostatic hypotension. Of the 381 subjects
on antidepressant medication, women outnumbered men by a 2.3-to-1
ratio.
According to the authors, a preventive
care program for dry mouth should include patient education on home
hygiene practices, increased water intake, fluoride applications,
use of therapeutic agents that stimulate salivation, and regularly
scheduled dental visits. Dental precautions related to vasoconstrictors
include conferring with a patient's physician and using a minimal
quantity of vasoconstrictor with local anesthetic.
|