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Xerostomia
Xerostomia
What is Xerostomia
xeros = dry
stoma = mouth
defined as dry mouth
Not a disease
but rather a symptom of many medical conditions
Associated with;
Change in salivary composition
Reduced salivary flow rate (hyposalivation)
Abnormal:
Unstimulated: below0.1 ml per minuteis
significantly abnormal.
Stimulated: saliva flow rate less than0.5
mlper gland in 5 minutes or less than 1 ml per
gland in 10 minutes is decreased.
Causes?
Physiologi
c
Pathologic
Physiologic Causes
During sleep
Major salivary glands are inactive
Dehydration
Body trying to reduce loss of water
Age-related
Probably due to pathologic causes
Pathologic Causes
Diseases
Many more. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cystic fibrosis,
bone marrow transplantation, endocrine disorders, nutritional deficiencies, nephritis, thyroid dysfunction and neurological
diseases such as Bell's palsy and cerebral palsy
Cancer therapy
most common toxicity associated radiation therapy at neck and head
May interrupt normal salivary productions by the salivary glands
The amount of radiation used in radiation therapy is measured in gray (Gy), and varies depending on the type
and stage of cancer being treated. For curative cases, the typical dose for a solid epithelial tumor ranges from
60 to 80 Gy, while lymphoma tumors are treated with 20 to 40 Gy.
Medications/Drugs
*Michael took a kind of drug before showing xerostomia
Mainly:
Antihistamines, antidepressents,
anticholergenic, anorexiants,
antihypertensives, antipsychotics, etc.
Not permanent,
disappear once doses are reduced or totally
stopped
Complications related
taste disorders (dysgeusia)
painful tongue (glossodynia)
oral candidiasis,
salivary gland infection (sialadenitis),
Increased dental caries/calculus,
Halitosis
# Mostly due to reduced
antimicrobial action (normally
done by saliva)
Treatment
Difficult to achieve
Often unsatisfactory
MUST find the underlying causes
But still need to be managed
because it may lead to many complications by increasing the saliva
Managed by:
Saliva substitutes
Exp: artificial saliva/water
Improve xerostomia only not other symptoms due to lack of accurate natural salivary composition
Saliva stimulants
Reference
Michael Friedman. (24th August 2014).Dental Health and Dry Mouth.
Available: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-dry-mouth.
Last accessed 9th April 2015.
Cathy L. Bartels. ().Xerostomia.Available: https://www.google.com.my/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFj
AC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oralcancerfoundation.org%2Fcomplications
%2Fxerostomia.php&ei=m4wmVfjfHNGkuQTM5IGoCw. Last accessed 9th April
2015.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (10th May 2014).Dry Mouth.Available:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drymouth/basics/definition/con-20035499. Last accessed 9th April 2015