If you’re taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound, I need to tell you something your doctor probably didn’t mention when they wrote that prescription.
Your mouth is taking a beating.
Maybe you’ve already noticed it.
Most prescribing doctors aren’t warning patients about this.
Because you deserve to know what’s happening in your mouth and what you can do about it right now—before you’re sitting in a dental chair with thousands of dollars in treatment ahead of you.
The Problem: Three Ways Ozempic Attacks Your Mouth
GLP-1 medications work by slowing gastric emptying—that’s how they suppress appetite. But that same mechanism triggers a cascade of oral health problems:
1. Severe Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)
Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) affects your salivary glands, reducing saliva production. Research published in 2025 confirms this: these medications cause hyposalivation—literally, not enough saliva.
And here’s why that matters: saliva is your mouth’s first line of defense. It neutralizes acids, washes away food particles, and continuously remineralizes your enamel. Without adequate saliva, you’re defenseless against decay.
2. Delayed Gastric Emptying Leads to Acid Exposure
Because these medications slow how quickly your stomach empties, food sits there longer. In some people, this can cause bloating, nausea, and—critically for your teeth—acid reflux.
3. Disrupted Oral Microbiome
The combination of dry mouth and repeated acid exposure doesn’t just damage enamel—it fundamentally disrupts your oral microbiome.
Without adequate saliva to buffer acids and maintain a healthy pH, pathogenic bacteria can overgrow. This creates conditions for:
- Accelerated tooth decay
- Gum inflammation and disease
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Faster plaque buildup
Here’s what makes this especially concerning: the combination of dry mouth + acid exposure + disrupted microbiome creates conditions for tooth decay that can develop faster than your normal six-month cleaning schedule.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you’re taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or any GLP-1 medication, you need to act now—not in six months at your next cleaning.
Here’s the protocol I recommend:
1. Support Saliva Production with Zinc
Zinc is critical for healthy salivarynnbi gland function. A 2019 study in Scientific Reports found that zinc can help to stimulate saliva secretion through the ZnR/GPR39 receptor—even in people with severe dry mouth. And, in my experience, most people don’t get adequate zinc from diet alone.
What I recommend: A high-quality zinc supplement, 15-30mg daily. This is the one I take.
2. Protect Your Cellular Energy with CoQ10
Your salivary glands need cellular energy to produce saliva. CoQ10 is essential for that energy production—it’s the electron carrier in your mitochondria. Research published in PLOS One shows CoQ10 supplementation improves mitochondrial respiration and increases ATP synthesis.
While there’s no specific research on CoQ10 and GLP-1 medications, supporting cellular energy production is a reasonable approach when your body is under metabolic stress from rapid weight loss and reduced nutrition.
What I recommend: 100-200mg of CoQ10 daily. This is the one I take.
3. Support Your Anti-Inflammatory Response with C15:0
Inflammation doesn’t stay local to your mouth. Gum disease is linked to a 19-36% increase in cardiovascular disease risk and a 34% higher risk of cognitive impairment.
C15:0 (pentadecanoic acid) is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid that emerging research suggests may be essential. A 2023 study in Nutrients found that C15:0 shares anti-inflammatory activities with longevity-enhancing compounds like rapamycin—lowering key inflammatory markers including MCP-1, TNF-α, and multiple interleukins.
While there’s no specific research on C15:0 and GLP-1 medications, supporting your body’s anti-inflammatory response is a reasonable approach when dealing with oral tissue stress and systemic inflammation.
What I recommend: 100-200mg of C15:0 daily. This is the one I take.
4. Support Hydration with Magnesium
If you have dry mouth or you’re dehydrated, magnesium is critical. Magnesium keeps water in your body—without it, you pee it all out. This is a well-known principle in dentistry that most people don’t realize.
When you’re already dealing with dry mouth from GLP-1 medications, proper hydration becomes even more important. Magnesium helps ensure the water you drink actually stays in your system to support saliva production.
What I recommend: A high-quality magnesium supplement. (This is the one I’ve taken daily for nearly ten years.)
5. Strengthen Enamel with Nano-Hydroxyapatite
This is non-negotiable. If you’re on Ozempic, you need to switch to a toothpaste that actively rebuilds enamel, not just cleans it.
Nano-hydroxyapatite is the mineral your teeth are made of. When applied topically, it fills in micro-lesions and strengthens enamel against acid attacks.
I created Fygg toothpaste specifically for this reason—it uses the right form of hydroxyapatite, it’s free of essential oils that disrupt your oral microbiome, and it’s completely transparent about ingredients.
What to do: Brush with nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste twice daily. This is the one I use (and co-formulated).
6. Rinse with Water After Every Meal
This seems almost too simple, but it’s critical. After eating or experiencing any acid reflux, rinse vigorously with water.
Do not brush immediately (that can actually damage softened enamel)—just rinse with water, which helps to neutralize acid and clear food particles while your saliva production is compromised.
Keep a water bottle with you at all times.
7. Increase Your Cleaning Frequency
If you’re seeing your dentist every six months, that’s not enough anymore. You need to move to every three to four months.
Why? Because the decay process is accelerated when you have chronic dry mouth and acid exposure. What used to take a year to develop can now happen in three months.
Your hygienist can remove buildup before it becomes a problem and catch early demineralization while it’s still reversible.
8. Consider Xylitol Gum
Xylitol gum serves two purposes:
- It stimulates saliva flow (mechanical stimulation from chewing)
- It feeds beneficial oral bacteria, not pathogenic ones
Chew xylitol gum after meals and throughout the day. If you can, try to find a microplastic-free xylitol gum—the key ingredient to look for is “chicle.”
9. Find a Functional Dentist
Most dentists aren’t thinking about this connection yet. They’re not asking about Ozempic, and they’re not connecting the dots between your medication and your sudden dental problems.
You need a dentist who understands the oral-systemic connection and who can work with you proactively—not just react to cavities after they’ve already formed.
Use my Functional Dentist Directory to find someone in your area who thinks this way.
These are dentists who understand that your mouth is connected to your whole body, and they’ll partner with you to prevent problems before they start.
I’m not telling you to stop taking Ozempic—that’s between you and your doctor. But if you’re taking these medications, you need to protect your mouth—because the dental complications are real, and they’re preventable.
Mark
References & Further Reading
Tanaka et al. (2002). “Secretory function of the salivary gland in patients with taste disorders or xerostomia: correlation with zinc deficiency.” PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12132611/
Sakai et al. (2019). “Zn2+ stimulates salivary secretions via metabotropic zinc receptor ZnR/GPR39 in human salivary gland cells.” Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-54173-3
Hernández-Camacho et al. (2018). “Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in Aging and Disease.” Frontiers in Physiology. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.00044/full
Venn-Watson et al. (2023). “Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0), an Essential Fatty Acid, Shares Clinically Relevant Cell-Based Activities with Leading Longevity-Enhancing Compounds.” Nutrients. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10649853/
Venn-Watson et al. (2020). “Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential?” Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-64960-y
Conversation Article (2025). “Dry mouth, bad breath and tooth damage: the effects Ozempic and Wegovy can have on your mouth.” https://theconversation.com/dry-mouth-bad-breath-and-tooth-damage-the-effects-ozempic-and-wegovy-can-have-on-your-mouth-257859
MDLinx. “Ozempic tongue and other oral side effects explained.” https://www.mdlinx.com/article/ozempic-tongue-and-other-oral-side-effects-explained/14KksdwDRewoiHHbMCdv3V