OVERVIEW

Dry Mouth (Xerostomia) Course is organized by Homestead Schools, Inc.

Course Outline:
Chapter 1: Saliva:
• Gatekeeper
• New Diagnostic
• Table 1 Saliva Composition
• Salivary Gland Dysfunction
• Sjögren’s Syndrome
• Xerostomia
• Diagnosis of Xerostomia
• Table 2 Xerogenic Drugs in Order of Increasing Potential
• Table 3 Subjective and Objective Symptoms of Xerostomia
• Table 4 Saliva Composition and Flow Rates

Chapter 2: Oral Pilocarpine Hydrochloride for Radiation-Induced Dry Mouth:
• Clinical Studies
• Severity of Xerostomia Reduced When Taking Salagen Tablets
• Salagen Indication Extended to Dry Mouth in Sjögren’s Syndrome
• Table1 Incidence of Adverse Experiences With 5 mg Pilocarpine HCI
• Chapter 3: Differentiation of Dry Mouth Etiology
• Table 1: Causes of Complaints of Xerostomia
• Table 2: Methods of Evaluation of Salivary Function
• History
• Symptom Review
• Physical Examination
• Measurement of Salivary Output
• Table 1 The Secretion of Whole Saliva
• Sialochemical Analyses
• Laboratory Studies
• Salivary Imaging
• Salivary Biopsy
• Summary

Chapter 4: Gene Transfer Triggers Saliva Productions in Damaged Salivary Glands:
• Re-Engineering Cells
• Production of Fluid
• Issues to Resolve

Chapter 5: Xerostomia or Dry Mouth Information:
• What is dry mouth?
• Salvia
• What happens when you have dry mouth?
• What causes dry mouth?
• Is relief available?
• What is being done about dry mouth?

Post-Test

Learning Objectives:
After completing this course you’ll be able to:
• Describe the antiviral, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties of saliva in maintaining oral and systemic health.
• List conditions and diseases that can cause salivary gland dysfunction.
• Describe the promising role gene transfer technology may play in repairing diseases or damaged salivary glands.
• Demonstrate the spitting method of collecting whole saliva.
• List subjective and objective symptoms of xerostomia.
• Distinguish the saliva composition and flow rates in healthy and xerostomic individuals.
• List 8 methods of evaluating salivary function and describe their relative accuracy.
• Identify at least 6 findings on physical examination that may indicate salivary dysfunction.
• Discuss the use of whole saliva in the differential diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome.
• Recommend a treatment regimen of 6 specific measures for caries prevention for patients with hyposalivation.
• Discuss the results of clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of pilocarpine in improving salivary function in patients with radiation-induced xerostomia.
• Provide essential information to a patient suffering from dry mouth , such as causes and symptoms of dry mouth, common measures to relieve dryness and oral hygiene steps.