Oral medicine and oral cancer: xerostomia treatment: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: xerostomia treatment

Sample item

A 65-year-old with dry mouth following head and neck radiotherapy has difficulty swallowing and many new cavities. Which drug can be used to stimulate residual salivary function?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Pilocarpine

Pilocarpine is a muscarinic agonist that stimulates salivary secretion in patients with residual gland function after radiotherapy or Sjogren syndrome. Fluoride and saliva substitutes also help prevent caries.

Option by option

  • A. Pseudoephedrine

    Pseudoephedrine causes dryness as a side effect.

  • B. Pilocarpine (correct)

    Correct. Pilocarpine stimulates the remaining glandular tissue.

  • C. Amitriptyline

    Amitriptyline has anticholinergic effects that reduce saliva.

  • D. Atropine

    Atropine blocks muscarinic receptors and worsens dryness.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Dentistry questions

Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is B, Pilocarpine. Pilocarpine is a muscarinic agonist that stimulates salivary secretion in patients with residual gland function after radiotherapy or Sjogren syndrome.

Why is "Pseudoephedrine" not the answer?

Pseudoephedrine causes dryness as a side effect.

Why is "Amitriptyline" not the answer?

Amitriptyline has anticholinergic effects that reduce saliva.

Why is "Atropine" not the answer?

Atropine blocks muscarinic receptors and worsens dryness.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: xerostomia treatment in Dentistry. Fluoride and saliva substitutes also help prevent caries.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: xerostomia treatment?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.