Challenging the Status Quo: Serving Unmet Needs and Enhancing Dry Mouth Care
By Dr. Sarah Balaster, DMD
Sponsored by Aquoral
In today's dental landscape, the commodification of services has transformed care into a transactional experience, often prioritizing cost over patient-centered outcomes. This shift has depersonalized interactions with patients, eroded trust, and left many needs unmet.
As dental professionals, we face the challenge of navigating a market that reduces complex care to a mere product—undervaluing the comprehensive, transformative service we provide. Yet, within this challenge lies a profound opportunity: to redefine our role in the medical community and reinforce the value we offer as essential healthcare providers.
The key to restoring value in dental care lies in adopting a Value-Based Care approach—shifting focus from cost alone to measurable improvements in patient health and quality of life. Value, in this sense, is defined not by the delivery of individual procedures, but by the long-term outcomes and benefits they create.
Embracing Value-Based Care in Dentistry
Incorporating Value-Based Care into dentistry requires a shift in mindset—from viewing procedures as isolated events to considering their broader implications for a patient’s overall well-being.
Take dental implants, for example. Success is not just about osseointegration or aesthetics—it’s about restoring function, comfort, and confidence. It also means addressing underlying conditions, such as periodontal disease, before placement. By resolving these issues first, we not only improve implant longevity but also reduce complications, aligning treatment with the principles of Value-Based Care: prioritizing lasting health over quick wins.
This philosophy extends beyond implants to conditions that are often overlooked yet significantly impact quality of life—such as dry mouth.
Aquoral: Revolutionizing Dry Mouth Care
Dry mouth, or xerostomia, affects roughly 22% of adults, with higher rates among older populations, those using CPAP machines, and patients taking multiple medications. Despite its prevalence, xerostomia is often underdiagnosed and undertreated.
The American Dental Association notes that reduced salivary flow can impair taste, chewing, swallowing, and speaking, while also increasing the risk of dental caries, tooth sensitivity, and oral infections. The most frequent cause? Medications—particularly antidepressants, antihistamines, antihypertensives, and antimuscarinics.
The risk of dry mouth rises dramatically with polypharmacy:
- 17% prevalence in those taking no medication
- 33.5% prevalence in those taking three medications
- 67% prevalence in those taking seven or more medications
Another high-risk group is CPAP users—with about 40% experiencing dry mouth symptoms, often leading to reduced device compliance.
Why Traditional Solutions Fall Short
Current treatments, such as water-based sprays, chewing gum, or systemic medications (cevimeline, pilocarpine), each have limitations:
- Water-based solutions: Require frequent reapplication, come in bulky bottles, and don’t last long—especially if drinking water.
- Systemic medications: May cause side effects like sweating, frequent urination, and diarrhea.
Aquoral’s Innovation
Aquoral, a prescription lipid-based solution, represents a significant advancement in dry mouth management. Its Oxidized Glycerol Triester (OGT) technology forms a protective layer over oral mucosa, locking in moisture for up to six hours—twice as long as many alternatives.
Unlike water-based products, Aquoral’s lubrication is not easily washed away by drinking, making it ideal for patients who need lasting relief during the day or uninterrupted sleep at night. For CPAP users, this means fewer nighttime awakenings for sips of water and a much better quality of rest.
Integrating Aquoral into Dental Practice
By screening for and managing dry mouth more proactively, dental professionals can address a common but under-recognized condition, improving patient comfort, treatment outcomes, and satisfaction.
Incorporating innovations like Aquoral aligns perfectly with a Value-Based Care model:
- Treats beyond immediate symptoms
- Improves long-term oral and systemic health
- Differentiates the practice as comprehensive and patient-focused
In-Office Dispensing: A Strategic Advantage
Offering Aquoral via in-office dispensing streamlines patient access, improving adherence and outcomes while adding a new revenue stream for the practice. Patients benefit from immediate availability, eliminating the need for a separate pharmacy trip. Practices benefit by capturing the full value of product sales and enhancing their role as a trusted, all-in-one care provider.
The Bigger Picture
When we combine Value-Based Care principles with innovative products like Aquoral, we move beyond transactional dentistry. We become partners in our patients’ overall health journey—delivering outcomes that truly improve lives.
By prioritizing comprehensive care, addressing often-overlooked conditions like xerostomia, and integrating modern dispensing strategies, we position ourselves as leaders in patient-centered dental healthcare.
About the Sponsor
This article was sponsored by Aquoral, a prescription dry mouth solution designed to provide long-lasting relief through advanced lipid-based technology.
References
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