ABSTRACT

 Background: The global prevalence of systemic diseases and subsequent drug consumption, which is strongly associated with xerostomia, has become increasingly prominent. Considering the significance of maintaining good oral health and hypothesizing that natural salivary stimulants could serve as a safe and effective treatment option, we assessed the therapeutic efficiency of thyme honey mouthwash in treating individuals with polypharmacyinduced xerostomia. 

Methods: A randomized controlled trial performed at Ain Shams University’s Faculty of Dentistry, Egypt, on 64 patients consuming two or more xerostomia-inducing medications and complaining of dry mouth. Patients were randomly assigned to receive thyme honey oral rinse (Study Group) or normal saline oral rinse (Control Group) (3/day/4weeks). Unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR), subjective (SDS), and clinical oral dryness scores (CODS) were evaluated at baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks. The salivary nitric oxide levels (SNO) and xerostomia-related quality of life scale (XeQoLS) were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks.

Results: The USFR showed a notable increase (P < 0.001) in the study group (161.82 ± 89.57 %) compared to the control group (17.11 ± 10.53 %) after 4 weeks, accompanied by an improvement in oral dryness scores. XeQoLS values showed significant improvement, and the SNO levels significantly decreased after using thyme honey mouth rinse for 4 weeks.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the thyme honey mouth rinse effectively increased the salivary secretion, decreased SNO levels and oral dryness scores, and improved the quality of life for patients experiencing polypharmacy-induced xerostomia.