USEFULNESS OF HYALURONIC ACID SPRAY FOR TREATMENT OF DRY MOUTH IN ELDERLY PATIENTS AT A COMMUNITY PHARMACY

• Published in: JIBI INKOKA TEMBO Vol. 55; no. Supplement1; pp. s56 - s59
• Main Authors: Yoshiyama, Yuji, Tashiro, Yoko, Ohshima, Takahiro, Hashimoto, Ikuko, Ariumi, Hideto, Miyazaki, Tomoko, Kawakami, Miyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Society of Oto-rhino-laryngology Tokyo 2012
• Subjects: dry mouth; elderly patient; hyaluronic acid; spray
• ISSN: 0386-9687; 1883-6429
• DOI: 10.11453/orltokyo.55.s56

The condition of dry mouth is an influential factor in the incidence of caries, periodontal disease, masticatory dysfunctions and denture function. The elderly often suffer from oral dryness and the aim of this study was to measure the amount of moisture in the oral mucosa of dry mouths at a community pharmacy. We further evaluated the usefulness of hyaluronic acid spray for treatment of dry mouth in elderly patients. The subjects were 140 elderly patients (mean age: 75.1+/-6.0 years) attending a community pharmacy. Measurement of moisture at the dorsum of the tongue and sublingual mucosa was performed using a wetness tester (L-SALIVO) with a measurement time of 10s. Further, clinical diagnosis of dry mouth was carried out using a clinical classification scale of the tongue mucosa (grade range, 0-3). Hyaluronic acid spray was then used for the treatment of the patients with dry mouth. Tongue dorsum moisture measurements were performed after treatment with the hyaluronic acid spray. It was possible to measure tongue dorsum moisture in all subjects with the wetness tester. The average moisture value was 2.2+/-1.3mm in elderly subjects with a dry mouth which increased to A 3.6+/-1.6mm after treatment with the hyaluronic acid spray. Our results show that this tester could be useful for evaluating oral dryness and diagnosing dry mouth. Furthermore, dry mouth of the dorsum of the tongue in the elderly requiring care was improved by treatment with the hyaluronic acid spray.