Compounding dental mouthwashes or rinses may offer numerous advantages over commercially available dosage forms. Elixirs, syrups, and suspensions often contain preservatives such as alcohol which can cause reactions or gastrointestinal irritation, or sugar which makes the preparation undesirable for prolonged use in the mouth or for diabetic patients. A customized preparation without unnecessary excipients – i.e., a sugar-free, dye-free, lactose-free, and preservative-free dosage form – can eliminate concerns of palatability, alcohol content, and dyes which may stain exposed mucosa.

Various preparations are also available to treat burning mouth syndrome and anesthetic/analgesic and antibiotic/anti-infective mouthwashes are commonly requested.

Tranexamic acid solution (4.8%) used as a mouthwash has been used successfully to prevent postsurgical bleeding after oral surgery without dose modification of oral anticoagulants.

Topical application of antiemetics 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.

Promethazine is commonly compounded for topical or transdermal application to treat nausea, vomiting, and vertigo, but this preparation may be used as an antiemetic for cases ranging from chemotherapy to motion sickness. The dose is typically 25mg for adults, and the dose is decreased for children. The gel is applied to an area of soft skin, such as the inside of the wrist or arm, the side of the torso, or the inside of the thigh. For children, the gel is often applied to the inside of one wrist, and then the wrists are rubbed together.

Other dosage forms include suppositories and lollipops.

US Pharmacist, August 1999; 74-5

The gag reflex can cause a patient considerable discomfort as well as interfere with dental procedures. An electrolyte tablet administered and 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.

Tablets 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.

Dent Today. 1991 Dec;10(9):68-71

What is TMD?

Your temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal bones of your skull, which are in front of each ear. It lets you move your jaw up and down and side to side, so you can talk, chew, and yawn. Problems with your jaw and the muscles in your face that control it are known as temporomandibular disorders (TMD). 

TMD often causes severe pain and discomfort. It can be temporary or last many years. It might affect one or both sides of your face. More women than men have it, and it’s most common among people between the ages of 20 and 40.

Common symptoms include:

• Pain or tenderness in your face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
• Problems when you try to open your mouth wide
• Jaws that get “stuck” or “lock” in the open- or closed-mouth position
• Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when you open or close your mouth or chew. This may or may not be painful.
• A tired feeling in your face
• Trouble chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite — as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly
• Swelling on the side of your face

You may also experience toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Source

Topical Solutions

Transdermal application of NSAIDs such as ketoprofen results in significantly higher tissue levels beneath the site of application than are achieved with oral administration. Additionally, side effects such as gastrointestinal irritation are avoided.

The following article concludes: “topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective in relieving pain in acute and chronic conditions.”

BMJ 1998;316:333

The following article reports “the systemic concentrations of ketoprofen have also been found to be 100-fold lower compared to tissue concentrations below the application…topically applied ketoprofen thus provides high local concentration below the site of application but lower systemic exposure.”

Pharm Res. 1996 Jan;13(1):168-72

Iontophoretic Solutions

Iontophoretic delivery (a method used to improve drug penetration by the means of electrical currents) of dexamethasone and lidocaine may be effective in improving mandibular function in patients with temporo-mandibular disorders who have concurrent temporo-mandibular joint capsulitis and disc displacement without reduction.

J Orofac Pain 1996 Spring;10(2):157-65

Saliva Stimulation

Loss of saliva (xerostomia) is one of the most common complaints among patients who have received radiation therapy to the head and neck regions. Radiation therapy in these regions of the body can be an effective form of treatment for malignancies. However, damage to the salivary glands may occur. 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.

Aust Dent J. 2002 Sep;47(3):249-53

Mouthwash Solutions

When a person is receiving chemotherapy or radiation, mouth tenderness and infections can interfere with the ability to eat. Malnutrition may result, yet is often preventable. Our pharmacy can compound medications which may enable patients to enjoy eating again. We can compound numerous medications into a preparation such as an oral rinse that contains the needed concentrations of each drug.

A three-drug mouthwash (lidocaine, diphenhydramine and sodium bicarbonate in normal saline) can provide effective symptomatic relief in patients with chemotherapy-induced mucositis.

There are an ever-increasing number of agents that can be used to help patients with oral and perioral pain problems such as neuropathies, neuromas and neuralgias. Vehicle-carrier agents and bases have been developed that can penetrate the mucosa and cutaneous tissues 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 orofacial painful neuropathy.

Several topical intraoral medications are used in the treatment of oral ulcerations and infections, including antifungals; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); and corticosteroids. Because of their rapid onset and low side-effect profile, topical medications offer a distinct advantage over systemic administration for orofacial disorders. Medicated lollipops, lozenges, and adhering powders are ideal for keeping an antibiotic or antifungal in contact with an infected area in the mouth.