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  • Title: Salivary status in patients treated for head and neck cancer.
    Author: Dawes C, Odlum O.
    Journal: J Can Dent Assoc; 2004 Jun; 70(6):397-400. PubMed ID: 15175120.
    Abstract:
    The objective of this study was to compare unstimulated salivary flow rate and residual salivary volume (the volume of saliva retained in the mouth after swallowing) in a group of 23 control subjects and a group of 25 patients who had received radiation treatment or had undergone removal of the salivary glands (or both) for head and neck cancer. As expected, the mean flow rate (+/- 0 standard deviation) in the patient group was significantly less than that in the control group (0.07 +/- 0.11 and 0.45 +/- 0 0.27 mL/min, respectively). However, the mean residual volumes were not significantly different between the 2 groups (0.70 +/- 0 0.28 and 0.82 +/- 0 0.26 mL, respectively). The 25 patients were subdivided according to their self-reported assessment of the mouth as being not dry (3), somewhat dry (12) or very dry (10); mean residual volume of saliva was significantly lower, at 71% the level in control subjects, for the group with very dry mouth (p < 0.02). These results suggest that people who report that the mouth is dry may not have a complete lack of fluid in the mouth; rather, there may be localized areas of dryness, notably on the hard palate, where the salivary film is particularly thin and subject to fluid absorption or evaporation because of mouth breathing.
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