Corticosteroids Indications in Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases: Side Effects, Dosage, and Administration

Corticosteroid drugs are used to treat many lesions as well as inflammatory and immune-related diseases because of their suppression effect on the immune system and resulting anti-inflammatory reaction. This study aimed to evaluate the use of corticosteroids in oral and maxillofacial diseases as well as their side effects, dosage, and administration. Materials and Methods: This study was a review study by searching the databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. Articles, published from 2000 to 2018, with the keywords of “steroids”, “mouth”, “oral”, “maxillofacial”, “indication”, “side effects”, and “contraindications” were found and investigated. Conclusion: These drugs, due to their possible adverse effects like adrenal insufficiency, should be prescribed with caution after an assessment of its risk-reward ratio. Moreover, their nutritional recommendation, discontinuation, and complications should be considered.