Dental aspects of Parkinson’s disease

Dental aspects of Parkinson’s disease and its therapy include “Drooling.” This is due to diminished frequency of swallowing allowing saliva to pool in the throat. When severe, saliva will spill forward in the mouth and be manifested by a “drooling.” The condition is not due to excess production of saliva, but due to inability to swallow normal amounts of saliva. So don’t provide an anticholinergic drug to treat excess salivation, because the drooling isn’t caused by excess saliva production. Treatment with anti-Parkinson drugs improves the frequency of swallowing, thus reducing the extent of externalized saliva.


Bradykinesia can result in difficulty arising from your dental chair and difficulty in brushing and flossing.

Category: Pharmacology Notes