Australian Dental Journal 2002;47:3. 249

An investigation into the use of pilocarpine as a sialagogue in patients with radiation induced xerostomia AM Frydrych, * GR Davies, † LM Slack-Smith, ‡ J Heywood§ Background: Radiation therapy to the head and neck region can be an effective form of treatment for malignancies. Unfortunately damage to salivary glands may occur. Treatment of resultant dry mouth is at present very poor. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether pilocarpine dissolved in artificial saliva and administered in a mouth spray would be effective in relieving such symptoms. Methods: Twenty-three patients with radiation induced hyposalivation were recruited for thi