Faculty Bibliography

The foregoing case report describes a procedure that can be used to remove newly fractured roots. It is recommended that a Hedstrom file be used in cases in which the roots are loosened before they are fractured and provided that proper visibility and sufficient space in the root canal in which to introduce the file exist. This method, used alone or in combination with closed or open procedures, can be helpful for removing roots that are close to the maxillary sinus or mandibular canal. In the aforementioned case, the Hedstrom file's being threaded into the root tip was a safeguard against pushing the root tips into the surrounding anatomic structures. A method of using a Hedstrom file has been described for the removal of newly fractured root tips. If conditions are adequate, this method is simple and effective

The flow rate and composition of whole unstimulated saliva were measured in fifteen healthy controls and in forty-eight xerostomic patients, fourteen suffering from xerostomia per se, twenty-two from xerostomia with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), and twelve from xerostomia, KCS, and rheumatoid arthritis. A significant lower salivary flow rate was found in all the xerostomic patients. Sodium, potassium, and IgA concentrations were significantly elevated in the KCS and in the RA + KCS group in comparison with the patients who had xerostomia per se and with the healthy controls. Sialochemistry is thus recommended for the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome in xerostomic patients.

Seventy-one patients complaining of mouth dryness were examined. Decreased salivary rate of flow was found in fifty-six. Twenty-two patients did not respond to stimulation and were treated with artificial saliva. The thirty-four responding patients were treated with a mouthwash containing citric acid (Saliram). Of the patients using Saliram, 91 percent were satisfied with the results, and in 16 percent of these an increase in salivation was observed and persisted after treatment was discontinued.