Oral complications of cancer therapies. Management of salivary dysfunction.

Abstract

Xerostomia is a common complication of radiation therapy to the head and neck. In such cases, the symptom is often permanent and leads to difficulty in mastication, wearing dentures, deglutition, and speaking. Other side effects include candidiasis and caries. Therapy is for the most part symptomatic and empirical. However, the use of sialogogues shows promise. Effective salivary substitutes and sialogogues that have minimal side effects need to be developed.