Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Saliva-Gel: A Polymer-Based Solution for Xerostomia Treatment

Abstract

Dry mouth (xerostomia) often leads to difficulties in swallowing, speaking, and maintaining good oral hygiene. Present therapeutic interventions for xerostomia yield temporary symptom alleviation or are invasive. In this study, we employ the biocompatible polymer, poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), to create a PHEMA-based saliva-gel to regulate the release of artificial saliva and emulate the properties of natural salivary secretion as a noninvasive dry mouth treatment mechanism. The saliva-gel exhibited a swelling capacity of approximately 400% of its original volume within 6 h. The high swelling capacity of the saliva-gel allows it to absorb and retain a significant amount of saliva, effectively increasing the amount of oral saliva and potentially providing sustained relief from dryness. The optimized saliva-gel exhibited a release rate of nearly all of its stored artificial saliva within 4 h at body temperature and exhibited a 97% efficiency in its release properties, which remained consistent through five continuous cycles. It also demonstrated reusable absorbance properties for these five cycles. The release rate of the saliva-gel aligns with the goal of providing timely relief for dry mouth symptoms. These findings collectively suggest that the study successfully demonstrates the potential of these materials for the treatment of xerostomia.