Caring for your patients with dry mouth - you CAN make a DIFFERENCE
Xerostomia is a serious condition that is annoying and uncomfortable and usually caused by a disease or underlying condition. It affects your patient’s quality of life while speaking, eating or even trying to sleep.
Hyposalivation can damage the hard and soft tissues of the mouth while presenting a clinical challenge in the operatory! 25% of your patients suffer from this terrible affliction and age is not a cause of having a dry mouth.
Radiation-induced xerostomia is a frequent side effect after treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancers. One person dies every hour of every day from oral cancer. Slightly more than 54,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer in 2022. Worldwide the problem is much greater, with new cases exceeding 640,000 annually.
Many people have abnormal sores in their mouths with the great majority being noncancerous, making our screening techniques even more important.
Educating your patient on management options to improve their quality of life is imperative. Many products can have an adverse effect on the oral cavity. There is not a one size fits all in the oral hygiene category. Let’s go above and beyond the goody bag!