Dr, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Division 2, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan
Commentary
Herbal Medicine Treatment for Xerostomia in Elderly Patients and Salivary Gland Regeneration Research
Author(s): Hiroshi Shiratsuchi*, Takaaki Tamagawa, Tadayoshi Kaneko and Reiko Sekino
Xerostomia often occurs in elderly patients due to Sjögren’s syndrome, sialadenitis, IgG4-related disease, diabetes,
dyslipidemia, and side-effects from certain medications. It is defined as a disturbance in saliva secretion, which
can be triggered by radiation therapy and causes many oral and dental problems. Therefore, it is necessary to
ameliorate oral symptoms and regenerate salivary glands in patients with these diseases. To relieve xerostomia and
stomatitis, herbal medicines such as Japanese traditional medicine (Kampo) are often applied. Kampo therapy is
effective for dry mouth symptoms. However, the salivary gland is complex and it is difficult to regenerate the salivary
gland through clinical treatment. Byakkokaninjinto and Goreisan are often used as Kampo therapy for xerostomia
through regulation of aquaporins. To investigate salivary gland re.. View more»