Medication impact on oral health in schizophrenia / Impacto de los medicamentos en la salud bucal en la esquizofrenia

ABSTRACT

Background: Patients with schizophrenia constitute a particularly vulnerable group for oral diseases. Among thedifferent factors involved, we aimed to examine the evidence of how drugs could contribute to the poorer oralhealth of this population.Material and Methods: An overview of the potential impact of medication on dental/oral health among people withschizophrenia was proposed focusing on selected literature.Results: Studies show a higher dental caries and degree of periodontal diseases in this population and point todrug-induced xerostomia as an important risk factor for oral health deterioration. The risk of dry mouth dependson not only antipsychotics, but also drugs with anticholinergic activity. We hypothesize that antipsychotic inducedglycaemic alterations might contribute to reduced oral health, and that the antimicrobial activity of certain an-tipsychotics could have an impact on oral microbiota affecting oral condition. Pharmacovigilance data show thatinvoluntary movements are caused by typical and some atypical antipsychotics. Dry mouth is most frequentlyreported for quetiapine and olanzapine, while clozapine is more frequently associated with sialorrhea.Conclusions: Literature clearly shows higher caries and periodontal disease in schizophrenic patients. However,overall, there is scarce literature about the potential influence of drugs in these disorders. Health professionalsshould be aware of this issue in order to implement adequate preventive measures in this vulnerable population.(AU)