Avaliação da fotobiomodulação na produção salivar de pacientes com xerostomia induzida por drogas anti hipertensivas - ensaio clínico controlado randomizado cego

Abstract

The reduction or absence of salivary production are called hyposalivation and assialia, respectively, and trigger xerostomia. The continuous use of medications to control chronic diseases, including Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH), can determine this situation. The existing methods for xerostomia control have been palliative, and there are no reports of effective treatment in the literature for this condition so far. This work aimed to treat xerostomia, using photobiomodulation (FBM) to stimulate the production of saliva and, consequently, increase its flow. For this purpose, a randomized double blind clinical study was carried out in which two experimental groups were determined: placebo group (n = 15) and FBM group (n = 25). The study consisted of the application of low power laser in the three pairs of major salivary glands - parotid, submandibular (both external) and sublingual (internal). Initial and final collections were performed - the first during the initial consultation and the last after the fourth application, both consisting of two stages - stimulated and not stimulated. The application was done once a week, for 4 weeks and the sialometry after the last application, as well as the pH evaluation. The parameters used in this research were: Laser Diode, 808nm, 4J per point. The irradiation was distributed in 3 points in the parotids, 2 points in the sublinguals and another 2 in the submandibular, totaling 20 points. The treated group showed a significant increase of 35% (unstimulated) and 35% (stimulated) of salivary volume. Both groups showed no change in pH. We were able to conclude through the research that FBM was effective in increasing salivary flow, suggesting that this may be a way to treat these patients, minimizing oral health problems and promoting quality of life for them.