Do you have concerns about your oral health, or problems like TMJ pain or gagging during your dental visits? Our compounding pharmacy may be able to help. We can work with you and your dentist to customize a medication that meets your specific needs.

Compounding allows multiple active ingredients to be incorporated into customized dosage forms such as mouthwashes, gels, lozenges, etc. For example, to treat periodontal disease, antibiotics can be formulated as a mouthwash, or added to an oral adhesive paste. Anesthetics can be formulated as a plasticized gel that will maintain the contact between the tissue and medication for a longer period of time. We can compound medications that are sugar-free for diabetic patients and to reduce cariogenic ("cavity-causing") potential.

Here are some examples of compounded medications that may enhance dental care or solve problems related to the mouth:

• a gargle that can be used before x-rays or scaling to inhibit gag reflex
• a gel containing anti-inflammatory and an anti-spasmodic that can be used to reduce jaw pain secondary to TMJ (temporo-mandibular joint) disorder, or also by the dentist in the office for prolonged procedures where a patient's jaw is sore or tired after being open for an extended period of time
• topical anesthetic lollipop to relieve mouth and throat pain
• antifungal lollipop to treat oral fungal infections such as thrush, to maintain prolonged contact of the medication with the lining of the mouth
• "Magic Mouthwashes" that contain a combination of medications specifically selected to treat a specific problem

 Compounded dental mouthwashes or rinses may offer numerous advantages over commercially available dosage forms. It is desirable to compound mouthwashes using pharmaceutical grade bulk powders as a source of active ingredients (antibiotics, anesthetics, etc.) versus the common practice of combining available liquids, due to concerns of palatability, flavor (different products have different flavors, which may not be compatible), and elimination of dyes used to color liquid preparations which may stain the lining of the mouth (oral mucosa).

Preparations can also be customized for difficult-to-treat problems such as

• Burning Mouth Syndrome.
• Chemotherapy or radiation-induced mucositis.
• Cold sores

Regular dental care is essential to your overall health. See your dentist as recommended. And, ask our compounding pharmacist how we can work with your dentist to help with problems that have not responded to commercially-available therapies.