BACKGROUND The most common long-term complication of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer is dry mouth or xerostomia. Salivary glands are radiosensitive; their destruction begins shortly after the initiation of therapy with the extent of injury directly related to the amount of radiation to which they are exposed. The subsequent xerostomia is challenging to manage, leads to multiple ...

Introduction Saliva plays a critical role in the preservation of oral-pharyngeal health. Complaints of a dry mouth (xerostomia) and diminished salivary output are common in older populations, which can result in impaired food and beverage intake, host defence and communication. Persistent xerostomia and salivary dysfunction can produce significant and permanent oral and pharyngeal disorders and...

Dentures which included a reservoir for dispensing artificial saliva were constructed for a trial group of patients with oropharyngeal cancer seen in the postirradiation period. The tumors were apparently under control, but the patients were suffering from xerostomia. Details of the design, construction, and use of such a device are presented. The subject of postirradiation xerostomia in the ed...

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UNLABELLED Xerostomia complaint is very commonly associated to radioactive iodine therapy. Alternatives to treat this morbidity can offer better quality of life to patients with thyroid cancer submitted to adjuvant iodine therapy. AIM to report on the experience with pilocarpine on the treatment of xerostomia in thyroid cancer patients submitted to adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy (RIT). ...

Xerostomia is subjective sensation of dry mouth due to reduced salivary flow. Mouth dryness interferes with chewing, swallowing, speaking, with significant increase in dental caries and other oral infections that may have considerable impact on oral health. Dry mouth may be caused by systemic diseases, drugs or by radiotherapy of head and neck cancers, etiology being multifactorial, it affects ...