Effect Of A Denture-Adhesive On Salivation And Orofacial Sicca Symptoms

Method: Fifteen elderly maxillary complete denture wearing patients (average age:72±11years) were investigated in this 3-week follow up. The aim of their referral was fabrication of new dentures, and they were investigated in the time of the clinical sessions. DA(Blend-a-Dent Extra Stark Neutral, Procter & Gamble, Hungary) was administered to the patients at their initial visit and they were asked to use it regularly in the following 3 weeks. Participants were questioned about possible subjective orofacial and extraoral sicca symptoms, through the use of a standardized questionnaire and tested concerning their saliva flow rates at their initial, first, second and third weeks. UWS was determined by the spitting method, while PS and LS flow rates were measured by the Periotron device. The statistical analysis methods employed in this study were the followings: subjective values -χ2-test; flow rates - ANOVA, and unpaired Student's t-test.

Result: Questionnaire data revealed that the ratio or severity of xerostomia was not changed. A significant increase in the subjective feeling of “saliva thickness” (p=0.037), and a non-significant increase in the ratios of subjective feeling of “insufficient amount of saliva” and of the nasal dryness could be detected, but other subjective parameters remains unchanged. Among the objective clinical results, both LS (p=0.007) and PS (p=0.001) flow rates decreased significantly by week 3, but there was no significant change in UWS flow rates.

Conclusion: Three-week use of DA did not influence the ratio or severity of xerostomia, but may result in a higher ratio of subjective “increased saliva thickness” feeling and in a significant reduction of the minor salivary gland flow rates among complete maxillary denture wearers.