Oral Health Considerations and Dental Management Guidelines for Semaglutide Medications

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, has demonstrated clinically meaningful weight loss effects in patients with Type 2 diabetes and high BMI, and dental practitioners and physicians are often encountering 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, patients taking semaglutide may present with xerostomia (dry mouth), halitosis (bad breath), enamel erosion tied to vomiting, 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. This article reviews the pharmacodynamics of semaglutide and dives into the current evidence on oral manifestations of the drug family and implications for dental and oral health. It outlines practical management recommendations for dentists and the broader interdisciplinary healthcare team.