title: Saliva stimulants and the oral health of geriatric patients.
abstract: Root-surface caries (RSC) has been recognized as a specific and important dental disease. Significant advances have been made in the pathology and microbiology of RSC, and the need to standardize the guidelines for recording RSC data has been recognized. Researchers have emphasized the increasing impact RSC will have on the geriatric population, especially since the methods to treat and prevent this disease are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of limiting RSC in a Veterans Administration (VA) patient population, using polyol-containing saliva stimulants that were voluntarily consumed by residents of a VA Medical Center (VAMC) over a period of from six to 30 months. Another aim was to study the effect of this program on the gingival health of periodontal patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan 48109-1078, USA.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002182:Candy; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D010512:Periodontal Index; D017213:Root Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D013012:Sorbitol; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014993:Xylitol
chemical_list: D002638:Chewing Gum; D013012:Sorbitol; D014993:Xylitol