Dry mouth syndrome can occur as a result of multiple causes beginning with lack of water, excessive
dehydration, oral breathing from stress and inhibited saliva production. Reduced saliva production may be caused by medications such as sedatives, blood pressure-reducing medications and, most frequently, patients who received radiotherapy in the facial and neck area. The side-effects of radiotherapy include hypotrophy of salivary gland tissues, reduced oral cavity lubrication, with susceptibility to oral lesions, changes in taste and giving rise to risk for tooth decay, all of which contribute to poor quality of life, inability to eat and malnutrition in patients.
According to statistics from the Thai Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, approximately
5,458 lip, oral and pharyngeal cancer patients undergo radiotherapy, indicating high numbers of persons with long-term impacts from radiotherapy causing dry mouth syndrome. Furthermore, most of the nation’s senior adult population is treated with medications to control blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases, which can cause many patients to suffer dry mount syndrome. According to a report in 2009, senior adults account for 10.7% of the entire population dispersed in various provinces of the country (approximately seven million senior adults). The treatment for dry mouth syndrome is symptomatic by having patients frequently sip water, giving medications to trigger salivary flow or provide substances to replace saliva. However, treatments are currently limited concerning side-effects from using medications to trigger salivary flow while substances for replacing saliva are costly. Therefore, researches to obtain effective artificial saliva products for patients at suitable prices promises great benefit in providing care for patients for improved quality of life, a solution to the aforementioned problem and opportunities for patients to access treatment services.
Therefore, the committee of the Dental Innovation Foundation under the Royal Patronage passed a
resolution to approve of the research and development project for artificial saliva gel innovative products for oral cancer patients and senior adults with dry mouth syndrome and insufficient saliva at the ninth special meeting (2/2554) on 11 March 2011 in cooperation with agencies and networks in specific fields of expertise with the goal of obtaining effective artificial saliva products as suitable for the target group patients in innovative artificial saliva gel product research and development so patients can keep the gel in the mouth and swallow artificial saliva gel flavored to please the palates of patients and moisturizing the oral cavity. This is an important project goal because the product will be highly beneficial in promoting quality of life among patients, thereby reducing expenses from recovery in hospitals and giving both patients and relatives good mental health.