THURSDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Use of an intraoral electrostimulation device reduces the severity of xerostomia and its associated symptoms, according to a study published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Frank P. Strietzel, M.D., D.D.S., from the Charite Universitatsmedizin in Berlin, and colleagues investigated the effect of daily use of an intraoral electrostimulation device in treating xerostomia in a two-stage prospective, randomized, multicenter trial. Stage I was a month-long double-blind, crossover stage, which compared the electronically active device with a sham control device. Stage II assessed the long-term effects of device use by means of a three-month open-label stage. The device was tested on 114 patients with Sjogren's syndrome and other sicca conditions.
The investigators found that, in stage I, use of the active device showed significant improvement in xerostomia severity, xerostomia frequency, quality of life impairment, and difficulty in swallowing compared with use of a sham device. At the end of stage II, significant improvements were identified for xerostomia severity, xerostomia, oral discomfort, speech difficulty, sleeping difficulty, and resting salivary flow rate. There was a cumulative positive effect associated with use of the device for the duration of the study period.
"The intraoral electrostimulation device appears to be a physiologically sound, beneficial, and safe therapeutic option for the alleviation of xerostomia," the authors write.
Several of the study authors reported financial relationships with the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, including Saliwell Ltd., which provided the intraoral electrostimulation devices used in the study.
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