Introduction: Evaluation of quantitative non-stimulated salivary flow rate in 11 patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after exclusive radiation therapy, treated with the association of lauryl-diethylene-glycol-ether-sodium sulfate and calcium hydroxide. Study design: Prospective clinical no randomized. Method: salivary flow was evaluated in three phases: 1) during seven weeks when they were submitted to radiotherapy with total dose of 7,000 cGy, without salivary stimulation with the association of drugs; 2) during eight weeks after radiation treatment, when the patients had salivary stimulation with the association of drugs; 3) for eight weeks after the end of treatment with the association of drugs. Results: These data were analysed in order to evaluate the efficacy of the medicament in avoiding salivary hypofunction after radiotherapy. Ten out of eleven patients showed significant better outcome in the salivary flow rates with the use of drugs related to the values obtained at the final period of radiotherapy and mantained these rates even without continuing using the drugs. Conclusions: the association of drugs was effective in the treatment of salivary hypofunction and promoted increase, in the total non-stimulated salivary flow rates in ten out of eleven patients, and this enhancement, was maintained for two months after interruption of the use of the medicament.
salivary flow; mouth neoplasia; sodium dodecilsulfate; calcium hydroxide
