Xerostomia Management for Pediatric Oncology Patients with Lactoperoxidase Included Oral Health Care Products

Aim: Evaluating the efficacy of lactoperoxidase included oral care products for xerostomia in children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy and / or radiotherapy and to present an easy to follow oral care protocol. Design: The study subjects consisted of twenty one pediatric cancer patients (mean age of 11,3±) with either leukemia or lymphoma used lactoperoxidase-system-containing mouth rinse (Biotene ® ) combined with (Biotene ® ) gel or (Biotene®) chewing gum for 3 weeks. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected at the base line and 4 weeks after the usage of the products. They were analyzed for selected biochemical factors and subjective symptoms as intra-oral dryness (xerostomia), eating ability and oral discomfort were graded by visual analogue scale. Results: No major changes occurred in the level of saliva Thiocyanite and Peroxidase activity, but there was a increase in salivary pH and also salivary flow rate was notably higher in groups using Lactoperoxidase products. Changes related to buffering capacity of saliva were also recorded. Conclusion: There is no clearly effective treatment for xerostomia but we have observed in our practice that the use of non-immunologic antimicrobial agents relieves subjective oral symptoms in most xerostomic pediatric patients.