If you have started a prescription for diabetes or weight management since your last dental visit, add it to the medication list you share with your dentist. It can affect how we plan your care, even if your teeth feel fine.
Medicines such as semaglutide, sold under brand names including Ozempic and Wegovy, can help manage diabetes or weight. A related prescription medicine, tirzepatide, is sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. For dental care, the useful conversation is about the medicine you take, how you feel on it, and any changes since your last visit. ADA: Oral care considerations
You do not need to apologize for taking a prescribed medicine or defend the reason you take it. We need the information to plan your care.
A dry mouth deserves attention
If your mouth feels sticky, you need water to get through a meal, or speaking feels uncomfortable, mention it. The American Dental Association includes GLP-1 medicines among medications that can contribute to dry mouth. Dehydration, other prescriptions, and health conditions can contribute, too. A symptom does not identify its cause. ADA: Dry mouth
Saliva helps protect teeth and mouth tissues. Reduced saliva can increase the risk of cavities, sensitivity, and oral infections. A dentist can examine your mouth and review the possible causes with you. ADA: Dry mouth
Sipping water and chewing sugar-free gum may help with dryness. Keep brushing with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between your teeth. Ask whether a saliva substitute or additional fluoride would fit your needs. Tell us about persistent dryness so we can help you choose what to use. ADA: Dry mouth
Nausea and reflux can affect your teeth
Nausea, vomiting, and reflux can occur with these medicines, including during the first weeks of treatment. If you are experiencing them, tell your prescriber and your dentist. ADA: Oral care considerations
Repeated exposure to stomach acid can wear away tooth enamel. The concern is acid reaching your teeth; it is not evidence that every person taking a GLP-1 medicine will develop dental damage. ADA: Dental erosion
After vomiting, rinse your mouth with water and spit. Wait about 30 minutes before brushing, following the American Dental Association's patient guidance, since brushing after acid exposure can contribute to enamel wear. Tell your care team if vomiting or reflux keeps happening so they can address the cause as well as the effects on your mouth. ADA MouthHealthy: Mouth care when sick
Tell us before a procedure involving sedation
GLP-1 medicines can slow stomach emptying. That matters for procedures involving deep sedation or general anesthesia because stomach contents can enter the airway. American Society of Anesthesiologists: Diabetes and weight-loss medicines before surgery
Most patients can continue their medicine before a procedure under the multi-society guidance described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Your plan depends on your circumstances. Starting treatment, increasing the dose, or having nausea, vomiting, or other digestive symptoms can affect that decision. Your care team should coordinate the plan. Follow their instructions about doses and fasting. Do not change a dose on your own. ASA: Patient guidance
What about the reports of vision loss?
In June 2025, the European Medicines Agency's safety committee classified an eye condition called NAION as a very rare side effect of semaglutide, meaning it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people taking that medicine. NAION can cause vision loss. This finding concerns semaglutide. It does not establish the same risk for every medicine discussed here. EMA: Semaglutide safety review
Sudden vision loss or eyesight that worsens fast requires medical attention without delay. Medication decisions belong with the treating clinician. EMA: Semaglutide safety review
Bring the details, and bring your questions
Before your next visit, write down the medication name, dose, when you started, and any recent dose changes. Include the symptoms you have noticed and your prescriber's contact information. A photo of the prescription label can help when the name is hard to remember.
If you have a procedure involving sedation planned, call SiRa at (732) 454-7472 with that information before the appointment. If your concern is dry mouth, reflux, or tooth sensitivity, tell us when you contact the office. We can review what has changed and discuss the next step with you.