Medicaments and oral healthcare. Mechanisms of interaction between medicaments

Interactions between medicaments or between a medicament and another product used by the patient may result in a medicamentbecoming inactive or in an increase in the side effects. By proper historytaking, a dentist will often know which medicaments a patient uses and can take this into account in prescribing a medicament. Self-care medications and specific foods are often not spontaneously reported by a patient but can still interact with a medicament prescribed. A dentist should be aware of the interactions a prescribed medicament can have with other medicaments and products used by the patient. Therefore dentists have to ask directly about such medicaments and products, and record them in the patients' file.