THE DENTISTS AND THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDED FOR TWO POPULATIONS; COMMENTS ON METHODOLOGY OF STUDY

EASY?—Dr. Harry L. Draker points out the pitfalls in an interview-survey and confirmation by dentists' records.     

The efficacy of Xialine<Superscript>®</Superscript> in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome: a single-blind,cross-over study

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown cause whose main characteristic is severe dryness of the eyes and the mouth. The decreased functional capacity of the lacrimal and salivary glands which is the result of the inflammatory process and lymphocytic infiltration observed in SS is accountable for this complication. Twenty-nine patients with SS whose ages were ranging between 24–77, who were under treatment in Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Rheumatology, participated in the study, and their informed consents were obtained upon enrollment. Each patient recorded their subjective complaints on a separate questionnaire. The baseline and subsequent evaluation of the subjective findings on predetermined times (1 h after application of the material, at the end of the 1st, 7th, and 14th days) were also recorded on separate questionnaire sheets. Throughout the 14-day treatment period, no statistically significant differences were noted between the Xialine® and placebo groups with regard to burning tongue, diminished taste, and waking up at night to sip water (p?=?0.925, 0.527, and 0.066, respectively). However, patients’ satisfaction with placebo decreased by 25.63% at the end of the test period, whereas it increased by 16.37% after Xialine® administration. Overall, the patients preferred Xialine® at the end of the study (p?=?0.011). The main motive to administer saliva substitute is to improve lubrication and hydration of oral tissues. The results of this study indicated that Xialine® is helpful in the management of xerostomia-related symptoms of SS patients. However, further investigations in larger scale group of patients are recommended to provide the effects of these agents on various complaints of xerostomia.