Do medications like antidepressants affect a person’s dental health?
I had a question. Do medications such as zoloft, geodon, lexapro, or lithium eventually lead to premature aging of the teeth or tooth decay or tooth recession? I’ve heard of stories of the old anti-epilipsey drugs causing things like gum problems which eventually led to tooth decay. Or do these drugs just cause an increased chance of grinding at night for example? If someone can let me know I’d really appreciate it!.
-Wes

Answered by: Maria/MDHealthForum.com Team

Thanks for your question, Wes. Although it was answerable by yes or no, I still prefer to also give you a brief background on how antidepressants work. This blog entry should also be useful for family caregivers as well as health-care providers in long-term care facilities. Antidepressant therapy is a long term thing. In fact, there are some people who take antidepressants for the rest of their lives. This means that they would have to bear with the consequences of its long-term use.

Antidepressants are classified according to their effect on the brain’s chemical activity. At present there are three major classes of antidepressants: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclics (TCAs) and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Tricyclic antidepressants are known to block the effect of both serotonin and epinephrine. They also block the acetylcholine receptor, aside from alleviating the symptoms of depression, this action also affects the digestive system. Dry mouth is a common reported side effect of tricyclic antidepressants. Reduced saliva flow would lead to the decrease or absence of the buffering capacity of the saliva to offset the acidic environment caused be some food, hence causing tooth decay.

Patients who are diagnosed to have bi-polar (manic-depressive) mood disorder benefit from Lithium carbonate therapy. There are reported cases of salivary gland inflammation after a prolonged intake of Lithium carbonate. This condition will eventually lead to development of dental caries.

Newer and more widely used drugs such as the SSRI’s are said to have no effect on the acetylcholine receptors but there are still a few reported cases of dry mouth in patients who are on SSRI therapy. In addition to that, some of them also suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding). Constant teeth grinding may consequently lead to dental damage and tooth loss.

Although the above-mentioned adverse are not life-threatening, it doesn’t mean that they should be ignored. If you are taking antidepressants, it is a must to pay extra attention to your dental health. To relieve dry mouth, taking sips of water and chewing sugarless gum will be helpful. Good oral hygiene should also be observed to prevent incidence of teeth damage. If a patient is a resident of a long-term care facility, it will be helpful if a glass of water is always within their reach. It’s the responsibility of direct care providers to perform necessary measures to prevent the harmful effect of antidepressants on their patients. Make sure that the patient observes oral hygiene. It is also important for the patient to make regular visits to the dentist for early detection of tooth decay and gum disease.