Objective and non-invasive evaluation of dry mouth

Objective This study was designed to evaluate the moisture checker (MucusIII®), a new device for measuring moisture of the oral submucosa. Methods Defective salivary secretion was induced by sialoadenectomy (n = 8), while the remaining five guinea pigs underwent sham surgery (control group). We measured the unstimulated salivary flow rate, wetness of the oral mucosa using the oral tester (L-SALIVO®) and moisture of the submucosa of the tongue using MucusIII. All tests were performed before (baseline) and 1 month after surgery. Results Sialoadenectomy significantly reduced both the salivary flow rate and the tester reading at 10 and at 30 s (p < 0.01). The vale due to the MucusIII as significantly reduced in animals with sialoadenectomy (p < 0.01). Conclusion The MucusIII is a device for objective evaluation of the moisture of the oral cavity.