Hydroxyzine
Antihistamine (first-generation) / anxiolytic
Brand names: Atarax, Vistaril
Oral health effects
Xerostomia (dry mouth)
Sedating antihistamine with notable dry mouth; sometimes used for dental anxiety/sedation.
Mechanism: Antagonism of muscarinic receptors on salivary glands.
Clinical management: Encourage hydration and salivary substitutes; reinforce caries prevention.
Sources
- A Guide to Medications Inducing Salivary Gland Dysfunction, Xerostomia, and Subjective Sialorrhea: A Systematic Review Sponsored by the World Workshop on Oral Medicine VI. Wolff A, Joshi RK, Ekström J, et al. Drugs in R&D, 2017.