A comparison of the effects of 2 commercially available nonprescription mouthrinses on salivary flow rates and xerostomia

Objective: To determine if 2 commercial mouthrinses, 1 alcohol-based and 1 nonalcohol-based, affect salivary flow and symptoms of dry mouth in nonxerostomic adults. Method and Materials: This observer-blinded, randomized, crossover pilot study involved 20 adults. The primary endpoints of interest were whole salivary flow rates and the perceived mouth dryness VAS scores following 1 week of use. ANOVA was used to determine differences in these endpoints between groups, and ANCOVA was used to control for any variation in baseline flow rates and VAS scores (P .05). Results: There were no significant differences between groups at baseline. After 1 week of mouthrinse use, ANOVA and ANCOVA of combined data (before and after crossover) revealed no significant differences in either flow rates or VAS scores between groups (P > .05). Conclusion: There were no differences in objective or subjective measures of mouth dryness between alcohol- and nonalcohol-containing mouthrinses after 1 week in nonxerostomic subjects. Keywords: alcohol, dry mouth, mouthrinse, xerostomia