Application of Neuro-electrostimulation as a Treatment for Patients With Dry Mouth

Resumen breve

Hyposalivation is a condition that has increased in frequency, primarily due to the degeneration of salivary glands caused by aging, polypharmacy, chronic or autoimmune diseases, or radiation treatments. Most of these factors are associated with the elderly, a growing demographic due to the aging population. Therefore, addressing this condition has become crucial in our population, as has understanding how it affects their quality of life. Given that saliva plays a vital role in maintaining the oral mucosa, tooth structure, initiating digestion, and even speech, a long-term treatment to stimulate salivary production would be extremely helpful in resolving these problems. Currently, only palliative measures that temporarily cover or lubricate the oral cavity and its structures are available. Among the most innovative treatments is neuroelectrical stimulation (TENS) as an adjunct in the therapy of dry mouth, which has shown improvement; however, this improvement has not been quantified through objective measurements that would allow for determining the quantity and quality of saliva, nor in the long term. Likewise, the patient's quality of life affected by this condition has not been assessed. Therefore, the objective of this project is to evaluate the effect on salivary quality and quantity after the application of neuroelectrical stimulation as a treatment for patients with dry mouth, as well as their quality of life.