Guide to Oral Medications

Oral medications are drugs that are taken by mouth to treat various medical conditions. They come in the form of tablets, capsules, or syrups.

Oral Medications FAQ

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What does oral medicine mean?

1. What is oral medicine? Oral medicine is the specialty of dentistry concerned with the care of children and adults with a diagnosis of chronic, and recurrent medically related disorders of the mouth, face and jaws. The specialty of Oral medicine involves diagnosis and non-surgical management of those patients.

How do oral medications work?

They come as solid tablets, capsules, chewable tablets or orally disintegrating tablets to be swallowed whole or sucked – or as a liquid in the form of drops, syrups or solutions. In most cases, the ingredients in oral medication don't enter the bloodstream until they reach the stomach or bowel.

What is oral drug administration?

Oral drug administration involves a person putting a drug into their mouth and swallowing it. It is one of the most common routes of drug administration, and it is convenient for many as it does not require special equipment. People can use oral administration for a range of medication types, such as pills, capsules, and liquids.

Is oral medicine a medical specialty?

Oral medicine and oral surgery are classified as dental specialties by the GDC whereas the UK General Medical Council recognises ‘oral and maxillofacial surgery’ as a medical specialty (PDF) . Dental and maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial pathology and oral microbiology contribute to the oral medicine patient pathway. i.

How do we assess oral medicine treatment needs?

For the majority of oral medicine conditions, no specific needs assessments or guidelines exist. Therefore, commissioners and consultants in dental public need to rely on proxy measure and service activity data. In principle there are three mainelements to assessing oral medicine treatment need:

How does oral medication enter the bloodstream?

In most cases, the ingredients in oral medication don't enter the bloodstream until they reach the stomach or bowel. Sometimes the drug is absorbed by the lining of the mouth, as is the case with lozenges and orally disintegrating tablets.