title: Salivary hypofunction: an update on aetiology, diagnosis and therapeutics.
abstract: Saliva is of paramount importance for the maintenance of oral and general homeostasis. Salivary hypofunction predispose patients to disorders such as dysgeusia, pain and burning mouth, caries and other oral infectious diseases, dysphagia and dysphonia. The aim of this study was to provide an update on the aetiology, diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies for the management of hyposalivation and xerostomia. The present paper describes subjective and objective methods for the diagnosis of salivary dysfunctions; moreover a number of drugs, and systemic disorders associated with decreased salivary flow rate are listed. We also focused on the underlying mechanisms to radiotherapy-induced salivary damage. Therapeutics for hyposalivation and xerostomia were discussed and classified as preventive, symptomatic, topical and systemic stimulants, disease-modifying agents, and regenerative. New therapeutic modalities have been studied and involve stem cells transplantation, with special attention to regeneration of damage caused by ionizing radiation to the salivary glands. More studies in this area are needed to provide new perspectives in the treatment of patients with salivary dysfunctions.
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Division, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Division, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Antonia Zancanaro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Division, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cherubini
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Division, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, Brazil. Electronic address: fernanda.salum@pucrs.br.
authors.forename: Fernanda Gonçalves
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Salum
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Medications; Radiotherapy; Salivary glands; Therapeutics; Xerostomia