Abstract
Many psychosomatic dental patients, including those with glossalgia, also suffer from oral xerosis. Gum-chewing tests typically show that such patients have a normal level of saliva secretion, but the amount of saliva is often found to have fallen after a 15-minute rest. Studies have indicated that secretion by the submandibular gland in sympathetic dominance is only 20-30% of the level in parasympathetic dominance. We have already reported on the rising tendency of blood noradrenaline levels in psychosomatic dental patients.
In the present study, we administered cevimeline hydrochloride hydrate hydrochloride to 20 patients complaining of psychosomatic disorders and oral dryness. The results obtained were as follows:
1. After four weeks of medication, saliva secretion at rest had increased in all subjects.
2. The symptoms were substantially alleviated in 9 and slightly alleviated in five out of the 20 patients; two were relieved only of oral xerosis and the remaining two exhibited no change.
3. Five patients who had received of cevimeline hydrochloride hydrate hydrochloride alone, four experienced improvement and one mild improvement.
4. Ten patients with glossalgia, the most frequent disorder, the symptoms were substantially alleviated in six and slightly alleviated in two; one was relieved of oral dryness alone, and one remained unchanged.
The results suggest that the administration of cevimeline hydrochloride hydrate hydrochloride was effective in treating glossalgia and other psychosomatic disorders accompanied by oral xerosis.
