Salivary Replacement Therapy/Salivary Stimulation- 4
Dental hygienists should ask their clients if they are using hard candies and breath mints to increase their saliva and to reduce oral malodor; as these are common behaviors of clients with xerostomia. These behaviors can be acceptable, as long as clients are using sugarless products. Indeed, sugarless lemon drops are often used in salivary research projects, as the tart flavor and the mechanical stimulation of sucking on the candy increases salivary flow rates. New research suggests that oral hygiene devices, such as sonic toothbrushes, increase salivary flow rates through mechanical stimulation.36
