The application of a night guard for sleep-related xerostomia.

OBJECTIVE

The usefulness of a night guard for nocturnal xerostomia was investigated.

STUDY

DESIGN

A controlled clinical trial was conducted, and the primary outcome measure was the satisfaction with the night guard in subjective improvement of the sensation of nocturnal dryness. The night guard device was fabricated with a 1.5-mm-thick ethylene vinyl acetate sheet, which covered the dental arch and the hard palate, and did not possess a reservoir for retaining a saliva substitute.

RESULTS

Following completion of 2-week treatment, substantial improvement was reported by the treatment group compared with the control group (P = .025). The posttreatment VAS value was significantly decreased compare with that of pretreatment period in sensation of oral dryness (P = .0295), thirstiness (P = .0012), and burning sensation of the tongue (P = .0371) in the treatment group

CONCLUSION

The application of a night guard is suggested to be a useful and simple method for the management of nocturnal xerostomia.