Adverse Effects of Medication Use

By Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD

Patients with multiple medical conditions often present for dental treatment with complex medical and pharmacological histories. Recent statistics from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that 49% of the US population has taken at least one medication, 23% has taken three or more, and 12% has taken five or more prescription drugs within the past 30 days.¹ Medication usage typically increases with age, and older adults present with both polypharmacy and polyherbacy. The more medications consumed, including herbal and dietary supplements (HDS), the greater the risk for a drug-drug or drug-HDS interaction.² Clinicians should routinely assess medicated patients for complaints and/or presentation of adverse drug effects. This article will review common oral side effects of medication use and recommendations for prevention and management.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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