Abstract:
Dry mouth is common in elderly patients. However, the use of saliva substitute has been limited due to its inedibility. This study investigated the efficacy of oral moisturizing jelly (OMJ), a novel edible saliva substitute. A pre-post design was conducted in 118 elderly patients diagnosed with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus. After using OMJ, signs and symptoms of dry mouth were compared with baseline data. The properties of saliva were compared between the OMJ use and non-use periods. The use of OMJ for 2 weeks significantly reduced symptoms of dry mouth, while the use for 1 month reduced the signs of xerostomia, prevented the decline of salivary pH(s) and improved buffering capacities. OMJ was equally effective in patients taking 1 to 2 and 3 to 7 medications. Furthermore, 65% of patients preferred OMJ over a commercial product. OMJ could be new edible saliva substitute for elderly patients suffering from dry mouth.Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02317172. © 2016 The Authors.