DRUG INTERACTION INVOLVING THE MOST COMMON DRUGS USED IN DENTISTRY

Abstract

The term drug interaction is used to describe the effects from one drug on another when they are taken simultaneously by a patient, usually affecting the effect expected for those drugs. This may be intentionally achieved with benefits and a specific desired effect but can also be a result of accidental intake. Two types of drug interaction may occur: most common is the interaction where the absorption, distribution, biotransformation or excretion happens; another kind of drug interaction involves the change in a certain drug effect when another drug is present, this is called pharmacodynamic interaction. The knowledge of drug interaction helps the Dentist to prevent and avoid drug toxicity. This requires adjustment for the dose or sometimes in the posologic scheme or the use of an alternative drug. The great number of drugs used simultaneously by patients nowadays brings an certain degree of difficulty for the Dentist to memorize or even to consult the different drug interaction possible. This situation calls for a diligent effort to collect the correct information about the drugs used by the patients before any new prescription is made. Nonetheless, drug interaction may cause synergism or antagonism either increasing or blocking the desired drug effect. In this article we describe some of the most common drug interaction that may take place in Dentistry.