Recent Advances of Pacemakers in Treatment of Xerostomia: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES: Treatment of dry mouth is the most common clinical challenge in the dental field. Although some remedies have been used to improve the signs and symptoms of xerostomia, none of them are absolutely satisfactory for the patients who have this alteration. In the current years, non-pharmacological treatments based on neuro-electro-stimulation for the treatment of xerostomia were developed. This review aimed at presenting recent developments for the treatment of xerostomia, applying neuro-electro-stimulation by miniaturized intraoral electrostimulators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A thorough literature search between 1986 and 2018 was carried out using PubMed Central, Scopus, National Science Library, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases; the results were reviewed, prioritized, and the findings were compiled. Twenty-two studies were evaluated for the review. RESULTS: This tool increases salivary secretion and improves xerostomia symptoms. Scientific trials have been carried out, which have revealed the wetting effect of the method described in this text. CONCLUSION: Neuro-electro-stimulation of the salivary gland plays an important role in the stimulation of saliva in patients who need further therapy and have poor quality of life. Intraoral electrostimulator offers a new non-pharmacological method for treating dry mouth.