A usability survey of mouth rinse using sodium bicarbonate water on dry mouth symptoms in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome: self-care method in consideration of salivary buffering capacity

<p>Objectives: In patients with dry mouth, salivary buffering capacity and oral pH decrease due to decreased salivary bicarbonate（HCO₃⁻）concentration; this is associated with the development of dental caries and oral candidiasis. It is considered that mouth rinse using sodium bicarbonate water supplements salivary buffering capacity. This study investigated the usability and changes in dry mouth symptoms after use of sodium bicarbonate mouth rinse in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome（SS）. </p><p>Methods: Twenty-seven patients with SS who had used sodium bicarbonate mouth rinse were enrolled. Usage status, usability, and changes in subjective symptoms regarding dry mouth were investigated by a questionnaire. Medication and countermeasures against dry mouth in the daily life were continued as usual. </p><p>Results: Highest frequency of use was twice a day（33.3%）, and common use situations were before bedtime（66.7%）, and after meals（63.0%）. Twenty patients（74.1%）had “very good” or “good” sense of use. Eighteen patients（66.7%）had relief of symptoms related to dry mouth. Pros were “feeling refreshed in the mouth”（51.9%）, followed by “becomes less sticky”（29.6%）, “easy to make”（25.9%）, and “inexpensive”（22.2%）. Some respondents said they had less glossitis, angular cheilitis, and stomatitis（14.8%）. For cons “troublesome” was the highest（37.0%）, followed by responses regarding taste（22.2%）. There were also many responses to “none in particular”（25.9%）. No obvious accidents occurred, and twenty patients（74.1%） wished to continue using the mouth rinse. </p><p>Conclusions: Sodium bicarbonate mouth rinse was considered an effective self-care method for managing dry mouth in SS patients.</p>