Dental Compounding
Customized medications prepared by our compounding pharmacy help both dentists and their patients by solving each patient’s specific medication problems. Upon a prescription order, we can compound:
- lip balms for viral lesions
- transdermal (topically applied) muscle relaxants/analgesics
- topical anesthetics
- non-staining antibacterial rinses
- oral sedation in lollipops and freezer pops
- lollipops for oral thrush
- mouthrinses for aphthous ulcers
- troches (lozenges) or rinses to relieve mucositis caused by radiation or chemotherapy, or for Burning Mouth Syndrome
- mouthrinse to minimize oral bleeding during dental procedures for patients who take anticoagulants
- dry socket (alveolar osteitis) preparations
- medicated “mucosal bandage” to cover ulcerated, infected, or tender mucosa
- many more unique preparations and novel dosage forms
Due to stability concerns, and the cost of stocking and distributing numerous formulations of each drug, medications are manufactured only in a limited number of strengths and dosage forms that will satisfy the needs of most patients. Using the finest quality chemicals and specialized equipment not found in most pharmacies, we can compound medications in doses and dosage forms that are not commercially available to optimize your care. Just let us know what you need!
Topical Anesthetics and Analgesics
Novel therapies are available to help patients with oral and perioral pain problems such as neuropathies, neuromas and neuralgias. Medication vehicles and bases have been developed that can penetrate the mucosa and cutaneous tissue and transport the active medication to the treatment site. Dentists have been using topical agents with increasing frequency as part of the therapeutic protocol for painful orofacial neuropathy.
Because of their rapid onset, significantly higher tissue levels beneath the site of application, and low side effect profile, topical medications offer distinct advantages. Topical medications used intraorally in the treatment of oral ulcerations and infections include antifungals, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteroids. Medicated lollipops, lozenges, powders, and mucoadhesive pastes can increase contact time with the mucosa.
Therapy for Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder
Non-invasive topical therapy can successfully relieve pain and inflammation associated with TMJ disorder. Iontophoretic delivery of dexamethasone and lidocaine may improve mandibular function in patients with temporo-mandibular disorders who have concurrent TMJ joint capsulitis and disc displacement without reduction.
Suppressing the Gag Reflex
The gag reflex can cause considerable patient discomfort as well as interfere with dental procedures. An electrolyte troche retained intraorally a few minutes before the start of a procedure can suppress the gag reflex, allowing a mandibular block to be given with much greater ease, which further reduces the gagging reflex.
Troches can be prescribed for home use for patients who can not properly perform oral hygiene procedures due to the gagging problem. Severe gaggers may need to repeat a dose in 15 to 20 minutes. Some patients and dentists prefer to use electrolyte lollipops.
Transdermal Anti-Emetics
Transdermal application of anti-emetics in a gel formulation provides a rapid onset and offers an effective alternative to oral administration. Oral surgeons have found this formulation to be particularly useful.
Treatment for Dry Mouth and Mucositis
Loss of saliva (xerostomia) is one of the most common complaints among patients who have received radiation therapy of the head and neck. Xerostomia contributes to radiation-induced periodontal infection, dental caries, osteoradionecrosis, and poor digestion of carbohydrates. Ask us about sialogogues (saliva stimulants) in customized dosage forms.
When a person is receiving chemotherapy or radiation, mouth tenderness and infections can cause substantial pain and interfere with the patient’s ability to eat, compromising nutritional status. Severe mucositis may necessitate a reduction in dose or frequency of cancer-fighting therapies, which may be detrimental. We can compound lozenges, lollipops, and oral rinses that contain antifungals, antibiotics, anesthetics, and protective agents that help to prevent or heal damaged mucosa.
Periodontal Therapy
Compounding allows various active ingredients to be incorporated into customized mouthrinses, gels, troches, etc. For example, to treat periodontal disease, antibacterials can be formulated as a non-staining rinse, and antibiotics can be added to a mucoadhesive paste or plasticized gel in order to prolong the contact time between the medication and mucosa.
Miracle Mouthwashes
Compounded dental mouthwashes or rinses may offer numerous advantages over commercially available dosage forms. A customized solution can eliminate concerns of palatability, limit alcohol content, and eliminate dyes which may stain exposed mucosa.
Various preparations are also available to treat Burning Mouth Syndrome. Anesthetic/analgesic and antibiotic/anti-infective mouthrinses are commonly prescribed.
Customized Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormonal fluctuations have a surprisingly strong influence on the oral cavity. For example, postmenopausal problems may include decreased saliva production, increased dental caries, Burning Mouth Syndrome, gingivitis, periodontitis and osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) appears to reduce the rate of alveolar bone loss in postmenopausal women. HRT use is consistently associated with greater tooth retention in studies of elderly women. Ask us about the benefits of customized, natural HRT.
