DEPRESSION AND TOOTH DECAY [ back to What's New ]
During the 1970s and part of the 1980s the most prescribed anti-depressants were known at tri-cyclics because they had 3 rings of carbon atoms - e.g. imipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline and amitriptyline. These caused severe dry mouth. The newer generation of anti-depressants which became popular in the later 1980s (the SSRIs such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft) also cause dry mouth, but less extreme and obvious. Why is this important? Saliva is filled with anti-microbial substances, and in the absence of a normal quantity of saliva, people are prone to develop cavities, gum disease and fungal infections of the mouth. The dry mouth effect of anti-depressants is compounded and greatly increased when the patient is taking other medications to relieve anxiety, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and reduce allergic symptoms. Coffee is another culprit. Since it is common for doctors to prescribe anti-depressants to people who have suffered a TBI, please remember to drink lots of water and see your dentist regularly. Some users of anti-depressants are shocked to learn that cavities and dentures in their adult life were related to the medications they were talking for depression.