Saliva Disorders Flashcards
What special tests can be done to investigate salivary disease?
Bloods
Functional assays
Tissue assays
Imaging (inc. sialograhy/ultrasound)
How can anxiety cause a disorder in saliva production?
Cephalic control of salivation leading to too little saliva.
Cephalic control of perception leading to too little saliva.
Inhibition in swallowing leading to too much saliva.
What is a somatoform disease?
A disease process with symptoms that cannot be properly explained or identified.
List six common somatoform diseases.
Oral Dysaesthesia
TMD pain
Headache
neck/back pain
Dyspepsia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What is the normal rate of resting salivary flow?
0.3-0.4mL/min
What is the normal rate of stimulated salivary flow?
1-2mL/min
What rates of salivary flow would be considered hyposalivation, both resting and stimulated?
<0.1mL/min resting
<0.5mL/min stimulated
Which causes of dry mouth can be treated to resolve the symptoms?
Dehydration
Medicines with anti-muscarinic side effects
Medicines causing dehydration
Poor Diabetes control – type 1 or type 2
Somatoform Disorder – diagnosis of exclusion
Which diseases can the dry mouth be treated, but not fully resolved?
Sjögren’s Syndrome
Dry mouth from cancer treatment
Dry mouth from salivary gland disease
What is the treatment for dry mouth where the underlying cause cannot be resolved?
Intensive prevention
Salivary substitutes
Salivary stimulants
What blood tests should be done when investigating dry mouth?
Dehydration – U&Es, Glucose
Autoimmune disease – ANA, Anti-Ro, Anti-La (ENA Screen), CRP
Complement levels – c3 and c4
What special tests might an optitian be able to provide with regards to investigating dry mouth?
Assessment of tear film (preferred)
Schirmer test – tear flow less than 5mm wetting of test paper in 15 mins
How should a dentist manage???????????????
Prevent oral disease
Caries risk assessment
Candida/staphylococci
Angular chelitis
Sore tongue
Maximal preventative strategy
Diet!
Fluoride
Treatment Planning for a caries risk mouth
List four true causes of hypersalivation.
Drug causes
Dementia
CJD
Stroke
List six perceived causes of hypersalivation (causes where there is no increase in flow rate).
Swallowing Failure
Anxiety
Stroke
Motor Neurone Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Postural Drooling
Being a baby
Cerebral Palsy
What treatment options are there for hypersalivation?
Treat the Cause
Anxiety disorders
Drugs to reduce salivation
Anti-muscarinic agents
Botox to prevent gland stimulation
Biofeedback training
Swallowing control
Surgery to salivary system
Gland removal
Duct repositioning
What clinical signs can be used to assess salivary issues?
E/o examination of major salivary glands
I/o examination of minor salivary glands, ducts, fluid levels
What is the function of saliva?
Acid buffering
Mucosal lubrication (for speech and swallowing)
Taste facilitation
Antibacterial role
What are the main broad causes of xerostomia?
Salivary gland disease
Drugs
Medical conditions + dehydration
Radiotherapy and cancer treatments
Anxiety & somatization disorders
Why does the incidence of xerostomia increase as a patient gets older?
Acinar tissue loss of the major salivary glands, can be between 30-45% of tissue loss leading to reduced function.
What is an indirect problem with a salivary gland?
A problem which does not affect the gland itself, but is results in impacted salivary gland problem.
Give six examples of medications that can cause indirect salivary problems.
Tricyclic anti-depressants
Anti-psychotics
Anti-histamines
Atropine
Diuretics
Cytotoxics
Give six examples of medical conditions that can cause indirect salivary problems.
Diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
Renal disease
Stroke
Addison’s disease
Vomiting conditions
Acute oral mucosal diseases/injuries
List five direct salivary gland problems that can lead to xerostomia?
Aplasia (ectodermal dysplasia)
Sarcoidosis
HIV disease
Gland infiltration
Cystic fibrosis
What is ectodermal dysplasia?
Disorders resulting from abnormalities from the ectodermal structures. Can affect hair, nails, teeth, salivary and sweat glands. Can present as salivary aplasia alone.
What is sarcoidosis?
A condition in which there is an abnormal collection of inflammatory cells that form clumps in the lungs, skin or lymph nodes. This results in persistent dry cough and shortness of breath.
Outline the Challacombe scale of dryness
1 - Mirror sticks to buccal mucosa
2 - Mirror sticks to tongue
3 - Saliva frothy
4 - No pooling of saliva in FoM
5 - Shortened tongue papillae
6 - Altered gingival architecture (smooth)
A score of 1-3 indicates mild dryness
A score of 4-6 indicates moderate dryness
What may cause an increase in salivary gland size?
Viral infection (mumps, HIV)
Secretion retention (duct obstruction, mucocele)
Gland hyperplasia (Sialosis, Sjogren’s Syndrome)
Which vaccine is given to prevent mumps?
The MMR (measles mumps rubella) vaccine.
What is subacute obstruction?
A blockage usually of the submandibular gland, leading to painful swelling in the neck. Typically gets worse around meal times. Caused by Sialolith (stones), mucous, ductal damage from infection.
What type of investigation should be done to investigate blockage of a gland duct?
Sialography
Low dose radiograph
Ultrasound
What is a sialogram?
A sialogram is an X-ray of your salivary glands to diagnose problems like infections, tumors, or stones. It involves injecting a dye into your mouth and taking a radiograph.
What are typical symptoms of a patient with mumps?
Headache
Joint pain
Nausea
Dry Mouth
Mild abdominal pain
Feeling tired
What is the treatment for mumps?
Symptomatic treatment only, very few cases result in serious outcomes.
What virus causes mumps?
Paramyxovirus
How can HIV be a cause of salivary gland swelling?
It causes lympho-proliferative enlargement of the glands, which generally does not improve with treatment. Patient may have no other HIV related symptoms.
What can cause a duct stricture?
Damage or infection in the duct, leading to a narrowed pathway for salivary flow.
What can cause a duct dilatation?
Developmental defect, leading to sialadenits. The defect prevents normal emptying and micro-organisms can grow up the duct.
Where there is no clear cause of silalosis, which factors may contribute to the cause?
Alcohol abuse
Cirrhosis
Diabetes Mellitus
Recreational drug use
What is sialosis?
Major salivary gland enlargement with no obvious glandular cause. Can be unilateral but it is rare.
What are the potential risks of xerostomia?
Caries
Oral infection
Throat infection
Difficulty speaking/swallowing/chewing
Increase risk of denture stomatisis
What is Sjorgren’s Syndrome?
An auto-immune disease, which can many systemic symptoms, but related to dentists can lead to dry mouth and dry eyes.
What are the suggested causes of Sjorgren’s Syndrome?
Genetic predisposition
Environmental
However both are speculative. Likely a cause of Genetic, environmental, infection, and dietary.
Which systemic systems can be involved in Sjogren’s Syndrome?
Lungs
Kidney
Liver
Blood vessels
Nervous system
General fatigue/pain
What are the consequences of Sjogren’s Syndrome to the oro-facial region?
Effects of Oral Dryness
caries risk, denture retention, infections, functional issues –speech/swallow
Salivary enlargement - Sialosis
can occur at any time – usually permanent
Reduction surgery possible but not advised – other health issues
Lymphoma risk
Salivary lymphoma may present with unilateral gland swelling at any stage
Increased general lymphoma risk
What are the oral and ocular symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome.
Oral
Daily feeling of a dry mouth for >3 months
Recurrent swelling of salivary glands as an adult
Frequently drink liquid to aid swallowing dry foods
Ocular
Persistent troublesome dry eyes for >3 months
Recurrent sensation of sand/gravel in the eyes
Tear substitutes used >3 times day
Name two tests which can assess lacrimal flow.
Schirmer test
Fluroscein tear film assessment
What can be used to diagnose Sjogren’s Syndrome
Dry eyes/mouth
Autoantibody findings
Imaging findings
Radio nucleotide assessment
Histopathology findings
FOUR or more positive criteria for diagnosis
During extra oral exam what glands are you palpating?
- Parotid
- Submandibular
During intra oral exam what are you examining in regard to salivary glands?
- Minor salivary glands
- Duct orifices
- Fluid expression
- Quantity and quality of saliva
What are the key features of what saliva does?
- Acid buffering
- Mucosal lubrication needed for speech and swallowing
- Taste facilitation
- Antibacterial
What are some causes of xerostomia?
- Salivary gland disease
- Drugs
- Medical conditions and dehydration
- Radiotherapy and cancer txt
- Anxiety and somatisation (perception of mouth is wrong but normal amount of saliva) disorders