Common medications among dental outpatients: considerations in general dental practice

To provide information about the most common medications listed as being taken by dental patients presenting to an outpatient setting at a tertiary institution and to establish a list of the most common medications for review for the general dental practitioner.

A retrospective review was undertaken of 300 dental outpatient notes chosen from patients seen in the urgent dental care and exodontia clinics at the School of Dentistry in Dunedin. Data were recorded on patient age, medication list reported at the time of presentation and the number of medications. The ten most common medications encountered were listed in order of frequency, along with the ten most common prescription medications and the most common supplements or alternative remedies. A concise pharmacological synopsis for each of the ten most common medications was then presented as a review.

The age range of patients was from 18 to 88 years, with a mean age of 43.2 years (median age 41 years). More than one-quarter were aged 20-29 years. Some 56% of patients reported taking at least one medication at the time of presentation. The greatest number of medications being taken by an individual patient was 15. Of 138 different medications identified, the most commonly reported included aspirin, paracetamol and omeprazole. A list of the ten most common medications was established for concise review, in order to outline aspects important to the general dental practitioner.

This study provides information on the most common medications reported among dental outpatients presenting to a tertiary institution and highlights the need for general dental practitioners to be knowledgeable about them and their impact on dental treatment.