Antidepressants and dryness of the mouth

As a sidebar to yesterday’s e-Alert (“Over the Teeth, Past the Gums” 2/5/03) about the association between periodontal disease and heart disease (and how antioxidants may be a significant supplementary treatment for both), I wanted to give you some additional dental information from another e-Alert I sent you some time ago (“HSI Panelist Shares Even More Risks From Antidepressants” 11/9/01).

The HSI Panelist mentioned in the title is HSI Panelist Richard Cohan, D.D.S., M.S., M.B.A., who offered a warning about a common side effect of pharmaceutical antidepressants. Xerostomia is the medical name for dryness of the mouth, which is caused by a dysfunction of the salivary glands.

Dr. Cohan wrote: “As a group, antidepressants cause more xerostomia than any other. And, as you may know, xerostomia leads to an increase in caries (cavities), periodontal disease, and candidiasis, a yeast infection in the mouth often referred to as thrush. While not everyone who takes antidepressants experiences these side effects, those who do are often left with serious, permanent damage. For instance, these conditions can lead to irreversible loss of periodontal support of the teeth and the loss of teeth themselves. Just more of the hidden dangers in taking these drugs.”

And as we now know, to that list we can add, “increased risk of heart disease.”

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute