DTUK1410

for dry mouth Time to talk about dry mouth? Approximately 20% of people suffer symptoms of dry mouth1 , primarily related to disease and medication use. More than 400 medicines including tricyclic antidepressants and antihistamines can cause dry mouth2 and the prevalence is directly related to the total number of drugs taken.3 Ask your patients Some patients develop advanced coping strategies for dealing with dry mouth, unaware that there are products available that can help to provide protection against dry mouth, like the Biotène system. Diagnosis may also be complicated by the fact physical symptoms of dry mouth may not occur until salivary flow has been reduced by 50%.4,5,6 Diagnosing dry mouth Four key questions have been validated to help determine the subjective evaluation of a patient’s dry mouth:7 1 Do you have any difficulty swallowing? 2 Does your mouth feel dry when eating a meal? 3 Do you sip liquids to aid in swallowing dry food? 4 Does the amount of saliva in your mouth seem to be too little, too much or you do not notice? Clinical evaluations can also help to pick up on the condition, in particular: • Use of the mirror ‘stick’ test - place the mirror against the buccal mucosa and tongue. If it adheres to the tissues, then salivary secretion may be reduced • Checking for saliva pooling - is there saliva pooling in the floor of the mouth? If no, salivary rates may be abnormal • Determining changes in caries rates and presentation, looking for unusual sites, e.g. incisal, cuspal and cervical caries. Consequences of unmanaged dry mouth include caries, halitosis and oral infections. The Biotène patented salivary LP3 enzyme system The Biotène formulation supplements natural saliva, providing some of the missing salivary enzymes and proteins in patients with xerostomia and hyposalivation to replenish dry mouths. The Biotène system allows patients to choose appropriate products to fit in with their lifestyles: Products specially formulated for dry mouth: • Biotène Oral Balance Saliva Replacement Gel • Biotène Oral Balance Liquid. Hygiene Products: • Biotène Dry Mouth Toothpaste • Biotène Dry Mouth Mouthwash. The range is appropriately formulated for the sensitive mucosa of the dry mouth patient: • Alcohol free • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate • Mild flavour (SLS) free. The Biotène formulation: • Helps maintain the oral environment and provide protection against dry mouth • Helps supplement saliva’s natural defences • Helps supplement saliva’s natural antibacterial system - weakened in a dry mouth. 1. Billings RJ. Studies on the prevalence of xerostomia. Preliminary results. Caries Res. 23:Abstract 124, 35th ORCA Congress 1989 2. Eveson JW. ‘Xerostomia’. Periodontology 2000. 48: 85-91 3. Sreebny LM, Schwartz SS. ‘A reference guide to drugs and dry mouth – 2nd edition’. Gerodontology 1997. 14: 1; 33-47 4. Dawes C. ‘How much Saliva Is Enough for Avoidance of Xerostomia?’. Caries Res 2004. 38: 236-240 5. Dawes C: Physiological factors affecting salivary flow rate, oral sugar clearance, and the sensation of dry mouth in man. J Dent Res 1987; 66 (special issue): 648-653 6. Wolff MS, Kleinberg I: The effect of ammonium glycopyrrolate (Robinul)-induced xerostomia on oral mucosal wetness and flow of gingival crevicular fluid in humans. Arch Oral Biol 1999; 44;97-102. 7. Fox PC, Busch KA, Baum BJ. ‘Subjective reports of xerostomia and objective measures of salivary gland performance’. JADA 1987. 115:581-584 BIOTÈNE is a registered trade mark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies. Samples available from www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk Samples available from GSK welcomes Biotène to its oral care family

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