Acupuncture Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Acupuncture, including details on alternative medicine, uses, benefits, treatment, chinese medicine.

Drooling of saliva: a review of the etiology and management options.

Meningaud JP, Pitak-Arnnop P, Chikhani L, Bertrand JC

Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Teaching Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France. meningaud@noos.fr

Drooling of saliva appears to be the consequence of a dysfunction in the coordination of the swallowing mechanism, resulting in excess pooling of saliva in the anterior portion of the oral cavity and the unintentional loss of saliva from the mouth. Drooling can produce significant negative effects on physical health and quality of life, especially in patients with chronic neurological disabilities. Various approaches to manage this condition have been described in the literature, including oral motor therapy, behavior modification via biofeedback, orofacial regulation therapy, drug therapy, radiotherapy, and surgical treatments. Minimally invasive modalities, such as injection of botulinum toxin, photocoagulation, and acupuncture, have also been reported. This article provides a comprehensive and thorough overview of drooling, with an emphasis on understanding its etiologies and modalities of treatment.

Published 19 December 2005 in Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod, 101(1): 48-57.
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