Question
Do medications like benzodiazepines contribute to having periodontal disease?
Answer
There is no link between medications like benzodiazepines. Some medications can influence gum overgrowth (a different condition entirely) and salivary flow (which can mean increased plaque and calculus build-up), but even these do not directly mean periodontal disease is certain to happen.
Many people get confused with medical links and think that because a few people taking a certain medication all have the same condition, there is a correlation.
However, this does not make it ’cause and effect’. Benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety (amongst other conditions) and there could be a higher tendency towards smoking, stress, grinding, poor oral hygiene amongst other triggers for gum disease.