2021 Volume 57 Issue 3 Pages 107-110
Currently, the number of patients complaining of dry mouth is increasing due to a stressful society. Decreased salivary secretion is associated not only with oral diseases but also with dysphagia and affects general health. We focused on scent stimulation as a simple and safe way to promote salivation. In this study, we investigated the effects of pineapple scent on salivary secretion and salivary cortisol concentration. Ten healthy adults performed two trials, one without scent and the other with scent. The salivary secretion and the salivary cortisol concentration during the experiment were measured. In the scented trial, a muet with pineapple scent was placed at a position about 3 cm from the nostrils of the subjects, and nasal breathing was performed to stimulate the scent. As a result, the salivary secretion was significantly higher in the scented group than in the unscented group, but no significant difference in salivary cortisol concentration was observed.
