A comparative study on the effect of sugarless chewing gum with sugarless candy on xerostomia in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Abstract

Introduction: More than 30% of dialysis patients suffer from uncontrollable thirst (xerostomia). Thirst and xerostomia are one of the most significant and the most commonly observed symptoms in patients undergoing hemodialysis, and it affects the quality of life. Sugarless Chewing gum and sugarless candy are very effective in decreasing the xerostomia in these patients, due to increasing of the saliva flow. This study aimed to compare the effect of sugarless chewing gum with sugarless candy in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: This study was a semi-empirical study. Sixty hemodialysis patient who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into three groups. In the first group, thirsty patients used sugarless chewing gum for a week, and in the second group, they used sugarless candy for a week. The control group did not receive