Xerostomia, the subjective complaint of dry mouth, and hyposalivation remain a significant burden for many individuals. Diagnosis of xerostomia and salivary gland hypofunction is dependent upon a careful and detailed history and thorough oral examination. There exist many options for treatment and symptom management: salivary stimulants, topical agents, saliva substitutes, and systemic sialogogues. The aim of this review is to investigate the current state of knowledge on management and treatment of patients affected by xerostomia and/or hyposalivation.

The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical outcome of two different surgical methods for the reconstruction of narrow edentulous ridges before implant installation: guided bone regeneration with e-PTFE membranes and autologous bone chips or grafting of autologous bone blocks without e-PTFE membranes. Thirty partially edentulous patients, presenting insufficient bone width (less than 4 mm) in the edentulous sites for installation of screw-type titanium implants, were selected and assigned to two different treatment modalities. Fifteen patients (group 1) were treated by means of guided bone regeneration with e-PTFE membranes supported by stainless steel screws and autologous bone chips taken from intraoral sites. Fifteen patients (group 2) were treated by means of autologous bone blocks taken from intraoral or extraoral sites (anterior iliac crest and calvaria) and stabilized with titanium microscrews. Six to 8 months later, during re-entry for implant insertion, the gain of ridge width obtained was measured. In group 1 the average amount of bone gain was 2.7 mm, whereas in group 2 the value was 4.0 mm. Five to 6 months after implant placement prosthetic rehabilitation was started. The mean follow-up after prosthetic load has been 22.4 months. Success rates of implants according to Albrektsson criteria has been 93.3% in group 1, and 90.9% in group 2. Although a statistical comparison between the two treatment modalities may not be feasible, due to the bias resulting from the choice of treatment by the clinician and from the differences in donor sites and defect extension, some considerations can be made: 1) both methods are a reliable means for the correction of narrow edentulous ridges; 2) both techniques necessitate overcorrection of the defect because of interposition of connective tissue beneath the membrane in the first group and bone resorption in the second one; 3) the use of semipermeable barriers increases the costs of the surgical procedure, as compared to bone grafting without membranes; 4) guided bone regeneration presents a higher risk of infection because of wound dehiscence and membrane exposure. Therefore, in case of wide edentulous areas, reconstruction of narrow ridges should be performed with bone blocks without membranes.

Oral cancer (OC) is an uncommon malignancy in Western countries, being one of the most common cancers in some high-risk areas of the world. It is a largely preventable cancer, since most of the different risk factors identified, such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing, are behaviors that increase the likelihood of the disease. Given its high mortality, early diagnosis is of utmost importance. Prevention and the anticipation of diagnosis begin with identification of potentially malignant lesions of the oral mucosa and with local conditions promoting chronic inflammation. Therefore, every lesion must be recognized promptly and treated adequately. The clinical recognition and evaluation of oral mucosal lesions can detect up to 99% of oral cancers/premalignancies. As stated by the World Health Organization, any suspicious lesion that does not subside within two weeks from detection and removal of local causes of irritation must be biopsied. Surgical biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis of oral cancer. Adjunctive tools have been developed and studied to help clinicians in the diagnostic pathway, such as toluidine blue vital staining and autofluorescence imaging. In the near future other methods, i.e., identification of salivary markers of progression may help in reducing mortality due to oral cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the symptoms and risk factors associated with self-reported xerostomia. Methods: Data were collected from 601 self-administered questionnaires among dental clinic attendees. Logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to investigate the association for exposures of interest, such as socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported symptoms, oral hygiene habits and xerostomia. Results: Participants reported having dry mouth in 19.6% of cases. Xerostomia was associated with a significant increase in the odds of having dry lips, throat, eye, skin and nose. Patients with self-reported xerostomia were three times more likely to drink water to swallow food than were patients without xerstomia. Older individuals were significantly more likely to report dry mouth, and the prevalence of xerostomia increased with advancing age. The prevalence of xerostomia in patients taking one or more drugs was significantly higher compared to medication-free patients, and increased with increasing numbers of medications used. Finally, individuals with a nervous or mental disorder, or who wore removable dentures were five times more likely to develop xerostomia than patients without disorder or dentures. Conclusions: Dentists should be familiar with the symptoms of xerostomia and be prepared to take an active role in the diagnosis, management and treatment of the oral complications.