Oral Health Considerations and Dental Management Guidelines for Semaglutide Medications

Abstract

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, has demonstrated clinically meaningful weight-loss effects in individuals with type 2 diabetes and high body mass index, and dental practitioners and physicians often encounter patients who take these medications. Semaglutide is known to be associated with several systemic side effects, including delayed gastric emptying, belching, reflux and nausea, nutritional changes, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Systemic effects secondarily manifest in the oral cavity and, as a result, individuals taking semaglutide may present with xerostomia (dry mouth), halitosis (bad breath), enamel erosion tied to vomiting, and altered taste, among other oral signs and symptoms. It is important for dental professionals and physicians to become informed of possible symptoms and corresponding management strategies, given the multiple potential indirect effects on the oral cavity and relevance to dental treatment planning. In this article, we review the pharmacodynamics of semaglutide and present the current evidence on oral manifestations of the drug family and implications for dental and oral health. Practical management recommendations for dentists and the broader interdisciplinary health-care team are outlined.