according to the direct confrontation of dentist to oral complications of patients receiving radiotherapy, this study was conducted in cancer institute of imam khomeini hospital in 1376-1377. through this study, 70 patients expecting more than 4500 cgy radiation in salivary gland area was examined for xerostomia signs and symptoms . artificial saliva and placebo were prescribed for patients to ...

Xerostomia is becoming a major issue in dental and medical clinics with an increase of aged population. Medication is the most common etiology of xerostomia, while the most severe xerostomia generally occurs in patients with a history of head and neck radiotherapy. Xerostomic patients usually suffer from diminished quality of life due to various symptoms and complications. Decreased salivary ou...

BACKGROUND Xerostomia is a common, debilitating complication of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. This article reviews the pathogenesis of radiation-induced xerostomia, its impact on quality of life (QOL), and treatment options. METHODS Virtually all patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancers have xerostomia, which causes oral discomfort and pain, increased dental caries ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intraoral electrostimulation device, consisting of stimulating electrodes, an electronic circuit, and a power source, in treating xerostomia. The device delivers electrostimulation through the oral mucosa to the lingual nerve in order to enhance the salivary reflex. METHODS The device was tested on a sample of patients with xerostomia due to...

introduction xerostomia is one of side-effects of radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. no definitive method has been proposed for the treatment of this condition. however, pilocarpine is considered effective for the management of chronic xerostomia. the purpose of the present study was to assess the preventive effect of pilocarpine. materials and methods this study was performed on 34 patien...

BACKGROUND Most patients on haemodialysis (HD) have to maintain a fluid-restricted diet to prevent a high interdialytic weight gain (IWG). The prevalence of xerostomia (the feeling of a dry mouth) is higher in HD patients than in controls. Recently, we demonstrated that xerostomia and thirst were positively correlated with IWG in HD patients. Thus, this may play a role as a stimulus for fluid i...

PURPOSE To determine whether acupuncture reduces pain and dysfunction in patients with cancer with a history of neck dissection. The secondary objective is to determine whether acupuncture relieves dry mouth in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients at a tertiary cancer center with chronic pain or dysfunction attributed to neck dissection were randomly assigned to weekly acupuncture v...

Saliva is the physiological fluid of the oral cavity. As well as keeping the mouth moist and comfortable, saliva plays a vital, everyday role in protecting our general health and well-being. Reported estimates of the prevalence of xerostomia range from 12 to 39%.1 Although dry mouth is not widely recognized, research suggests that there may be as many as one in five people suffering from the ef...

I wish to offer comments on “RadiationInduced Xerostomia: How Dry Is Your Patient?” by Susan D. Bruce, RN, BSN, OCN (Vol. 8, pp. 61–67). 1. The author cites dysphasia (multiple times) as an effect of xerostomia. Indeed, difficulty with speech can be a problem. However, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) is never mentioned in the article. Dysphagia is an almost universal early and late effect of ...