Evaluation of the

effectiveness of saliva

substitutes in patients

with xerostomia, who

have undergone

radiation therapy.

Authors: Agata Piechal, Anna Mydlak, Patrycja Ostapiuk, Anna Żaglewska
Student’s Research Group, Department of Dental Surgery, Medical
University of Warsaw
Head of the Clinic: prof. dr hab. Andrzej Wojtowicz
Trustees of the Scientific group: lek. stom. Dariusz Mateńko, lek. dent.
Szymon Frank, lek. dent. Piotr Wesołowski
Trustees of the Paper: lek. dent. Piotr Wesołowski

XEROSTOMY

What? When?

Why? Symptoms?

The most common

symptoms are:

Methods to decrease the
discomfort:

•

2-3 liters of water,

•

hard food,

•

sugar-free chewing gum,

•

solutions of citric acid,

•

pilocarpine

Whether there

is still some

way?

SALIVA

SUBSTITUTES

Objective:

The aim of this study was to

determine the efficacy of saliva

substitutes in patients who suffer from

xerostomy after radiation therapy due

to head and neck cancers.

Materials

and

methods

•

10

patients from the Department of Prosthodontics and Department of Dental

Surgery at the Medical University of Warsaw

•

samples from one to three preparations

in gel form, whose name was not known.
Tested preparations were:
Vivo-dental gel, Xerostom gel,
GC Dry Mouth Gel.

•

Tested in accordance with the recommendations, and then evaluated by a specially

created survey

Results

Reducing feelings of dry

mouth and mouth burning

Improvement of the chewing

function and speech

The difficulties

associated with

the use of

dentures

An improvement of

the sense of taste

Mucositis

Conclusions

1. Almost all of patients
felt relief of symptoms,
and even their complete
disappearance, after the
application of saliva
substitutes.

2. Various ailments – various saliva
substitutes:
sensation of dry mouth -

VIVO-

DENTAL

burning sensation of the mouth and
inflammation of the mucous
membranes -

XEROSTOM

slurred speech, swallowing, taste
and smell and reduced adhesion of
denture-

GC DRY MOUTH

3. Top-ranked saliva
substitutes was

Vivo-dental

gel

.

The lowest-ranked saliva
substitutes was

GC Dry

Mouth gel

.

4. Using saliva substitutes
should be recommended as an
element

supporting

the

rehabilitation

of

the

masticatory

system

after

radiotherapy used in the head
and neck region.

Thank you for

you attention!