Biotechnological advances in neuro-electro-stimulation for the treatment of hyposalivation and xerostomia
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Gloria Lafaurie [1] ; Stefano Fedele [5] ; Rafael Martín-Granizo López [2] ; Andy Wolff [6] ; Frank Strietzel [7] ; Stephen R. Porter [4] ; Yrjö T. Konttinen [3]
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[1] Universidad El Bosque
Universidad El Bosque
Colombia
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[2] Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid
Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid
Madrid, España
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[3] University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
Helsinki, Finlandia
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[4] University of London
University of London
Reino Unido
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[5] Eastman Dental Institute UCL, London, United Kingdom
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[6] Assuta Hospital, 2 Hatamar St., Harutzim 60917, Israel
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[7] Charité – Medical University Berlin
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- Localización: Medicina oral, patología oral y cirugía bucal. Ed. inglesa, ISSN-e 1698-6946, Vol. 14, Nº. 2 (February), 2009
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
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Resumen
Treatment of xerostomia is a common clinical challenge in the oral medicine practice. Although some treatments have been used to improve the symptoms of xerostomia, none is completely satisfactory for the patients who suffer of this alteration. In the last years non-pharmacological treatments based on electro-stimulation for the treatment of xerostomia have been developed. This review is aimed at presenting new developments for the treatment of xerostomia, applying neuro-electro-stimulation by miniaturized intra-oral electro-stimulators. These devices increase salivary secretion and improve symptoms of oral dryness. Their effect is obtained by means of stimulation of the lingual nerve, in whose proximity the electrodes of the apparatus are placed. The objective of this mechanism is both to directly stimulate the salivary glands controlled by that nerve and to enhance the salivary reflex. Clinical studies have been carried out that have demonstrated the wetting effect of the method described in this article.
