Taking Control Part 2 - 2014 Sjogren's Society of Canada Dr Mahvash Navazesh: Oral Manifestations

The second lecture of the day began with Dr. Mahvash Navazesh, a professor at the Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California, introducing herself as the "Spit Queen". The title of her talk was Oral Manifestations of Sjogren's Syndrome  Most people take saliva for granted," she says. "It's one of the least-respected body fluids."

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/spit-power

The level of dryness in the mouth predicts progression of the disease. Teeth show the effects of mineral loss long before the caries develop (2 to 2 1/2 years). To save teeth we need early detection. Saliva can now predict how susceptible we are to decay and which surfaces are at risk.

We learned that 1% of saliva is not water, but is composed of ions, proteins, small organic molecules, enzymes and microorganisms and by-products. Since dental caries is the most common infectious disease we really need the help of saliva to protect our teeth. It can provide buffers to neutralize plaque acids and to promote remineralization of teeth, as well as by cleansing the surfaces and by maintaining a balance between "good guys and bad guys" in the mouth.

By the time dryness is evident people with Sjogren's have already lost 50% of their salivary gland function. If the saliva loss is a result of medication use, once you stop using the medication function returns in two to three months. When the loss is from Sjogren's it takes constant care and lifestyle adjustment to deal with situations like waking up with your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth or even taking care not to sample any dry food in a store because you might choke. 

Dr Mahvesh Navazesh

Normal oral care is not enough for us. We have to do more and here is a list of good practices from Dr Navazesh's slides:

Dietary counseling
Avoid alcohol, cariogenic snacks and soft drinks
Avoid dry, crisp, crunchy food and snacks
Meticulous oral home care
Daily oral hygiene, including oral prostheses
Avoid alcohol containing mouth rinses
Daily use of fluoride toothpaste and mouth rinse
Regular professional oral evaluation and care (frequency depends on severity and compliance)
Office application of fluoride varnish, gel or mouth rinse
Hydration/lubrication
Keeping lips and mouth lubricated
Saliva stimulation through xylitol gum, sugarless mints
Use of pilocarpine or evoxac to make the glands work harder

Dentists generally "drill, bill and fill" and sometimes I feel like my mouth will be a gold mine but even a great dentist can't guarantee their work when your oral environment is not normal. On the plus side Dr. Navazesh says that there is hope on the horizon, possibly through gene therapy.

Here are some articles that give more details of Dr Navazesh's work:
Salivary dysfunction associated with systemic diseases: systematic review and clinical management recommendations 

Spit Power

Here's the link to Part 1 of the coverage of the 2014 National Conference of the Sjogren's Society of Canada