Reports of ‘Ozempic Teeth’ Raise Concerns Over Dry Mouth Side Effects Linked to GLP-1s

Researchers warn delayed digestion could also cause “Ozempic breath,” which has been reported by some users as a side effect of GLP-1 medications.

Dentists and consumers are expressing growing concern that the side effects of Ozempic, Mounjaro and similar diabetes and weight loss drugs could lead to tooth decay.

Over the last few months, the term “Ozempic teeth” has become more common on social media platforms and media reports, suggesting there may be a connection between the use of a class of popular medications, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, and sudden dental problems.

People taking the drugs, which also include Wegovy, Zepbound and Victoza, are reporting bad breath and rotting or lost teeth on Reddit, Facebook and other websites.

Some dentists have backed up these suspicions in various news media posts, suggesting it could be a side effect of delayed digestion, dehydration and loss of nutrients caused by the loss of hunger that helps make the drugs so effective at weight loss.

GLP-1 Side Effects

The concerns come at a time when the two primary GLP-1 drug manufacturers, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, already face hundreds of Ozempic lawsuits, Wegovy lawsuits and Mounjaro lawsuits being pursued by former users of the medications, each raising similar allegations that the drug makers failed to warn patients or the medical community about severe gastrointestinal side effects linked to GLP-1s, such as stomach paralysis and bowel obstruction.

In addition, some users have also begun to file additional claims linking Ozempic to vision loss problems. The litigation began following the publication of a study by Harvard researchers about a year ago, who found that patients using semaglutide may face a seven-fold increased risk for experiencing sudden vision changes, blurred sight, blindness or other symptoms linked to non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare condition where the optic nerve suffers from insufficient blood flow.

An article posted in the British Dental Nurses’ Journal late last year, warned of potential oral health risks becoming more common as the popularity of the drugs, Ozempic in particular, continues to rise. It recommends that dentists and patients become more aware of how the drug’s weight loss effects could affect their teeth.

The researchers note that previous animal studies have found that GLP-1 drugs slow digestion, which can cause the body to create volatile sulfur compounds, which can lead to what some have termed “Ozempic breath.”

They also warned that some Ozempic side effects can include nausea, vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which lead to dental erosion if not accompanied by additional oral hygiene. They also noted that the lack of hunger or thirst associated with GLP-1 drug use can lead to dehydration and dry mouth, which increases the risk of cavity development.

“Whilst Ozempic or other semaglutide solutions may not directly cause oral health issues, it’s clear that their side effects can impact many patients. People must be advised to maintain a high-quality oral hygiene routine to minimise the development of caries, dental erosion and oral malodours.”

-British Dental Nurses’ Journal, Ozempic and oral health – what we know

The researchers recommend that GLP-1 users brush their teeth and floss and/or use a water pick twice a day, and recommended health care specialists watch for any oral health impacts from the drugs, and make sure patients can keep up with a stringent oral health regimen.

GLP-1 Stomach Paralysis Lawsuits

More than 2,000 GLP-1 lawsuits are currently filed throughout the federal court system, primarily focusing on stomach paralysis and other gastrointestinal injuries, which have been centralized in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before U.S. District Judge Karen Marston, as part of a GLP-1 lawsuit multidistrict litigation (MDL).

Judge Marston is leading the litigation through coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings toward the preparation of a small group of cases for early trial dates. These bellwether trials will help the parties and the Court see how a real jury responds to certain evidence and testimony that will be central to thousands of individual claims.

While the outcomes of these early test cases will not be binding on other claims, they will be closely watched and may help the parties negotiate GLP-1 settlements to resolve large numbers of lawsuits in the future.

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