Introduction: Antibiotics are a class of medications widely used by dentists. The class of agents has a number of listed side effects. This case report details an unusual adverse effect of tetracycline-induced psychosis recognized due to the diligence of a practitioner. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case by a dentist.
Case presentation: A 44-year-old patient was started on tetracycline therapy for prophylaxis before a periodontal procedure. The patient began having paranoid and psychotic experiences. The patient sought psychiatric medical care and was diagnosed with tetracycline-induced psychosis. He was treated with an antipsychotic drug, which resolved his symptoms.
Conclusion: Dental medical histories are a resource that is underused and can often be of value in the continual assessment of drug safety and pharmacovigilance.
Keywords: Drug toxicity; pharmacovigilance; psychotic disorders; safety; tetracycline.
© 2013 American Academy of Periodontology.