The Oral Cavity Moisturizing Effects of Lemon and Aloe Vera Extracts in Patients with Xerostomia: A Comparative Study

Background and Objectives: Xerostomia has been defined as the dry mouth sensation due to hyposalivation or change in saliva composition. Many herbal medicines have been used as a treatment option. Since combination of aloe vera extract and honey and Lemon are suggested as potent oral moisturizers and limited study have been done in this field, therefore, we decided to compare the effects of these two moisturizers in cases of xerostomia. Material and Methods: Combination of aloe vera extract and honey, lemon extract, and placebo mouthwashes were provided to 30 participants suffering from xerostomia. Each patient used three mouthwashes in the following order: For the first mouthwash, the patients were asked to express their sensation of dry mouth using VAS on the first, third and fifth days. This was followed by a one-week rest period, in which patients did not use any mouthwash. The same process was then repeated to make measurements for the second and third mouthwashes. Results: Lemon and combination of aloe vera extract and honey were both found to be significantly effective in reducing the dry mouth sensation. However, lemon was significantly more effective in this regard. Placebo was significantly less effective than both extracts and overall had no statistically significant impact on the dry mouth sensation (P 0.001). Conclusion: Lemon mouthwash was significantly more effective than combination of aloe vera and honey. So it is recommended to improve dry mouth sensation.