Different antidepressants, different side effects: What dental professionals should know
Key Highlights
- A new study compared 30 antidepressants and their varying physical and oral side effects.
- The findings link certain drugs to xerostomia, bruxism, and periodontal issues.
- The results highlight the need for thorough health histories and patient monitoring in dental settings.
Chances are pretty good that you or someone you know has been prescribed an antidepressant at some point in their lives. In 2023, the percentage of US adults age 18 and older who took prescription medication for depression was 11.4%, or 16.6 million Americans.1
It’s no wonder that the release of data from a recent study about the different side effects of a variety of antidepressants led people to conduct online searches about their own, or a loved one's, medications.
This translated to a 203% surge in searches, according to Phychreg,2 the highest number of searches related to antidepressants in five years. People want to know: Is this why they’re gaining weight? Is this why their blood pressure is high?
Even though 20% of adults in Europe and North America combined are prescribed antidepressants, the side effects among the different types of medications have not been entirely clear.2 The study to learn the difference was conducted by researchers at King’s College London, in collaboration with the University of Oxford.
What the study found
Their study sheds light on the variety of antidepressants and their varying side effects, including on oral health. The most common oral side effects for those who take an antidepressant are dry mouth, which leads to xerostomia, as well as bruxism, sensitivity, and periodontal issues.3
The good news is that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, have the fewest physical side effects.4
To reach their conclusions, researchers analyzed data from 151 different studies, comparing the physical health effects of 30 different antidepressants on more than 58,000 people.4 They focused on the first eight weeks of treatment, when side effects typically begin to appear.2
The researchers found that the most major side effects are weight gain, weight loss, varying changes in heart rate, and changes in blood pressure, even after only a relatively short time of using a drug. These side effects have an impact on overall health and may be affecting the patients in your dental chair.
Dr. Toby Pillinger, the study’s senior author, told King’s College News Centre, “Antidepressants are among the most widely used medicines in the world. While many people benefit from them, these drugs are not identical—some can lead to meaningful changes in weight, heart rate, and blood pressure in a relatively short period.
“The aim [of the study] isn’t to deter use, but to empower patients and clinicians to make informed choices and to encourage personalized care," he added.
How this news affects dental practices
As dental professionals, the results of this study stress what you already know: the importance of getting a thorough health history. Patients may not always be forthcoming in what they share, so if you notice changes, you may need to ask more questions, especially in light of this new research.
With the study showing that side effects of antidepressants can occur in as few as eight weeks, patients may not even be aware of the changes in their mouths yet. You may be among the first to alert them to coming health issues.
You may want to learn more by joining the surge of people going online to conduct their own searches about antidepressants. As a medical professional, a great place to start is with the original study, The effects of antidepressants on cardiometabolic and other physiological parameters: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.5
References
1. Elgaddal N, Weeks JD, Mykyta L. Characteristics of adults age 18 older who took prescription medication for depression: Unted States 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db528.htm
2. Searches for antidepressant side effects surge 203% amid new research on hidden risks. Psychreg. October 24, 2025. https://www.psychreg.org/searches-antidepressant-side-effects-surge-new-research-hidden-risks/
3. Dahm TS. Antidepressant medications and oral health. RDH magazine. May 24, 2025. https://www.rdhmag.com/patient-care/article/55290317/antidepressant-medications-and-oral-health
4. Research establishes wide variation in physical side-effects of antidepressants. King's College London. October 22, 2025. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/research-establishes-wide-variation-in-physical-side-effects-of-antidepressants#
5. Pillinger T, Arumuham A, McCutcheon RA, et al. The effects of antidepressants on cardiometabolic and other physiological parameters: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. The Lancet. October 21, 2025. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01293-0/fulltext
About the Author
Meg Kaiser
Associate Editor
Meg Kaiser is an associate editor in Endeavor Business Media’s Dental Division. She works on DentistryIQ.com, RDH eVillage and RDH Graduate newsletters, Dental Economics magazine, and RDH magazine, and has for nearly 20 years. She knew she'd caught the dental bug when she began preaching oral-systemic health to everyone she met. Contact her at [email protected].