Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches in Oral Medicine

Abstract

While the management of oral and maxillofacial diseases continues to progress, clinicians continue to use a constantly expanding range of medications and thus must be aware of their adverse effects, interactions, and dosages. The aim of this chapter is to provide a concise and evidence-based guide to the pharmacotherapeutic management of common oral and maxillofacial diseases. It must be acknowledged however, that in many instances, prescriptions for oral medicine conditions are used off-label, and mostly based on expert opinion and experience. This chapter is divided into three sections. Firstly, it will discuss the principal pharmacological profile of topical and systemic antibacterials, antiseptics, salivary substitutes and sialogogues, antifungals, antivirals, immunosuppressive, antiinflammatory, and biologic drugs. Secondly, concise therapeutic protocols will give clinicians practical guidance on the management of the most common oral diseases treated in oral medicine. The final part of this chapter discusses the main drugs used for the management of orofacial pain.