Xerostomia, AKA dry mouth, is more widespread than people think. In fact, a staggering 25% of adults suffer from this condition – that’s millions of people worldwide. Xerostomia causes unpleasant oral health problems including cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease, all of which can be prevented by the detection and treatment of dry mouth.
Previously, testing for Xerostomia was tedious and readings weren’t always accurate, however, with the help of some revolutionary dental technology, dentists around the world are now able to quickly detect and diagnose Xerostomia through accurate saliva flow measurements, thus allowing dentists to swiftly treat this prevalent oral condition to prevent further oral health complications.
Being able to identify Xerostomia in its early stages can also help detect other diseases, such as Lupus and Syogren’s Syndrome, the latter being a life-threatening condition that is often left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. With the ability to diagnose dry mouth, you’ll ultimately help improve your patients’ general health and well-being and possibly detect underlying health conditions at the same time. This will help ease your patients’ minds and allow them to take prompt action to get their health under control.
Introducing BokaFlo, a groundbreaking device that allows dental practitioners to easily and accurately measure saliva flow!
Besides the obvious benefits of quick Xerostomia detection and follow-up treatment, BokaFlo also provides dentists with speedy accurate readings, it’s easy to use, and it’s also cost efficient. The BokaFlo system adds additional revenue to the dental office through preventative treatments and more frequent patient follow-ups.
BokaFlo takes away the hard work and effortlessly detects dry mouth. The process is simple allowing the dental practitioner to test the patient and get instant diagnostic results in just a few minutes.
Once you’ve explained the testing process using the easy-to-understand patient take-home card, you simply press ‘test’ on your BokaFlo device and you’ll be guided through the process step by step, eliminating the risk of human error and misdiagnosis.
You’ll be asked to input your patient’s details into the device to begin the process. Using a swab that’s placed under the tongue, the swab is then transferred to your BokaFlo device. The patient will then pool salvia for 60 seconds, after which they’re given a second swab to place under the tongue to determine the results. Once the second swab is placed into the reader, you’ll be able to instantly view the patient’s BokaFlo number. A reading of 0.3 or less indicates that your patient has a low salivary flow and thus needs to receive treatment to prevent complications that come from it. Treatment comes in the form of in-office fluoride varnish, professional strength mouth washes, fluoridated toothpaste, super-saturated calcium phosphate rinses, and a 3 month patient follow-up.
Stressing the importance of saliva flow is a must. Few patients understand the potential severity and complications that come from low salivary flow if left untreated. As well as identifying underlying health problems, you can also help your patients reduce the risk of cavities, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and tooth loss; therefore it’s fair to say that BokaFlo is a win-win for both your practice and patients.
This article has been sponsored by Boka Sciences
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