Corticosteroids in Dental Practice

Dentistry, in the past few decades, has reached new heights. With the increasing awareness of the general public towards oral and dental diseases, and the general physician referring many patients for expert care, the number of medically compromised patients visiting the dentist has enormously increased.Patients who have undergone therapy with glucocorticoids present unique problems for the dentist. Persons currently receiving steroid therapy have an altered response to infection and wound healing. More important is that the patients who are taking or have taken glucocorticoids have high risk of developing acute adrenal insufficiency when placed in a stressful situation.The dentists must have correct knowledge of the dose, frequency and duration of steroid being prescribed by the physician, to enable the dentist to assess the need for supplementation of the same during the dental procedure. The dentist should also have thorough knowledge of the safe and effective use of these drugs for dental related therapy.