2019 Volume 33 Issue 4 Pages 465-470
An appropriate degree of moisture is very important for maintaining good oral hygiene. However, many elderly patients experience hyposalivation and xerostomia associated with aging and systemic diseases, as well as adverse reactions to drugs used to treat internal diseases. These patients are recommended to use an oral moisturizer for symptomatic treatment. For economic reasons, however, many patients do not use oral moisturizers appropriately. In this study, we created an inexpensive solution composed primarily of glycerin and used chicken breast to evaluate its moisture-maintaining capacity compared with distilled water and a commercial oral moisturizer（Butler Gel Spray®）. We used a moisture-checking device（Mucus®）to measure the degree of moisture；moisture-maintaining capacity was defined as the percent change in the degree of moisture（degree of moisture before spraying－degree of moisture at 120 minutes after spraying / degree of moisture before spraying×100）. The glycerin solution and Butler Gel Spray® exhibited equal moisture-maintaining capacities after 120 minutes. In addition, there was no statistical difference in the moisture-maintaining capacities of 12, 24, and 36％ glycerin solutions. Therefore, glycerin solution has sufficient moisture-maintaining capacity as an oral moisturizer, and its low cost makes it economical for long-term use.
