Q: I am a woman aged 64 and for about 10 years I have been bothered with what the doctors call dry mouth syndrome. I can get only very short relief from sucking candies, constantly sipping liquids, etc.
For several years now my constantly dry nose has caused difficulty in smelling and my whole mouth is so dry that I have difficulty tasting and even talking. Have you any suggestions about any other treatment for this miserable condition?
A: The fancy name for your condition is xerostomia which translates into dry mouth.
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There are a number of causes. An auto-immune complex of symptoms called Sjogren’s syndrome (often associated with rheumatoid arthritis) is the most common cause of xerostomia. Other causes include certain medications and prolonged radiation treatment of the head and neck for cancer.
Up to recently there’s been no satisfactory treatment for xerostomia but an electronic device called Salitron has just been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for commercial use.
Makes saliva
The patient-operated Salitron probe stimulates saliva flow by acting on the tongue and roof of the mouth. In eight years of testing the Salitron, manufactured by Biosonics, demonstrated great tolerance in that the patient could operate it three times a day for three minutes each time without having to increase the stimulus for salivation.
See an ear, nose and throat specialist for more details. The cost is about $1,600 and it may soon be available in Canada.
