Have you had this happen to you? If you are the assistant or hygienist, you bring the patient back, or if you are the Doctor, you walk in the room and the patient has this giant, like, 2 L water bottle. You ask them if you can set it on the counter for them and they look at you like you are insane and insist on holding on to it. They tell you their mouth is always dry and they need to drink water constantly (hopefully it’s water! I’ve had it be Crystal Light many times and cringed). They also need at least two bathroom breaks during the appointment. At my public health clinic, where it seemed like every other patient that walked through the door was diabetic, this was not an unusual happening. Medications, increased age, and conditions like diabetes or Sjögren, all can cause patients to experience dry mouth.
Here at the Dental Advisor, we recently received Xerostomia Relief Spray (3M). According to the manufacturer it provides up to 4 hours of relief from dry mouth symptoms. The chemistry is lipid-based oxygenated glycerol triester (OGT) technology. This is a prescription spray that patients can only get from a dental professional.
Xerostomia Relief Spray packaging Small size perfect for on the go We noticed it comes out in a unique stream
Spraying
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team?
– 4 hours of relief is huge to our xerostomia patients. I can’t wait to evaluate this and see what our patients think!
– I was kind of expecting more of a mist, but it is more of a squirt of the product that you then move around your mouth with your tongue.
– Being lipid-based it has a different feel than other dry-mouth products, but also is very coating.
– The size of the vial is perfect to put in your purse or pocket and take with you. I think when we recommend rinses to patients we don’t always think about the fact that they have dry mouth all day and need something that can travel with them wherever they go.
– It was an acquired taste to some of us. Dr. Bunek loved it.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!