The Importance of Dry Mouth Care in Patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome and Current Approaches

Sjögren’s syndrome is a significant health problem and the second most common autoimmune rheumatic disease, which can cause common systemic symptoms and negatively affect patients’ quality of life and survival. The main symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome include dry mouth and eyes. According to the guidelines, the treatment and management of dry mouth should be done by a multidisciplinary team. It is recommended to evaluate salivary gland function before starting treatment for dry mouth. It is very important to enquire about the drugs used by the patient; to obtain a comprehensive medical history, including physical examination; to perform special function tests; and to evaluate the symptoms. It is recommended to use topical fluoride and fluoride remineralizing agents in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome and dry mouth. The responsibilities of nurses include making evaluations, providing oral care, preventing symptoms that may develop in the mouth, providing support to patients when necessary, and training patients. Nurses make valuable contributions in standardizing the symptoms of patients, managing the care interventions to be applied, training to be given to the patients, and preventing their repeated admissions to the health institutions. The aim of this review is to examine the importance of oral care, current approaches, and nursing interventions in patients diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome.