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Palliative cancer care - oral problems - Management
Which topical artificial saliva and saliva stimulant products is recommended to treat dry mouth?

  • Any topical artificial saliva and saliva stimulant product available on prescription in the UK can be tried to treat the symptoms of dry mouth.
    • Salinum® and SST® Saliva Stimulating Tablets are classified as appliances. The remaining products are all borderline substances so the prescriber must endorse prescriptions 'ACBS' when these products are used for dry mouth in this situation.
  • In people with their own teeth, the use of acidic artificial saliva products (e.g. Glandosane® aerosol spray) should generally be avoided in order to minimize damage to tooth enamel.
Basis for recommendation
  • Some products have been reported to be superior to others, but nearly all the published trials that have investigated topical artificial saliva substitutes were found to be of poor quality. Therefore, from an evidence-based perspective, it is difficult to recommend the use of one product over another.
  • Choice of product will therefore be influenced by:
    • Patient preference.
    • Product experience and familiarity of the prescriber.
  • People with cancer and dry mouth are at a higher risk of damaged mucosal membranes. Acidic products (e.g. Glandsone® spray, Salivix® pastilles, and SST® tablets) may cause discomfort compared with products with a neutral pH.

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