Advances in Dental Research, Vol 9, 125-126, Copyright © 1995 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Saliva stimulants and the oral health of geriatric patients
K. K. Makinen, D. Pemberton, J. Cole, P. L. Makinen, C. Y. Chen and P. Lambert
Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan 48109-1078, USA.
Root-surface caries (RSC) has been recognized as a specific and important
dental disease. Significant advances have been made in the pathology and
microbiology of RSC, and the need to standardize the guidelines for
recording RSC data has been recognized. Researchers have emphasized the
increasing impact RSC will have on the geriatric population, especially
since the methods to treat and prevent this disease are limited. The
purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of limiting RSC in
a Veterans Administration (VA) patient population, using polyol-containing
saliva stimulants that were voluntarily consumed by residents of a VA
Medical Center (VAMC) over a period of from six to 30 months. Another aim
was to study the effect of this program on the gingival health of
periodontal patients.
