Prevalence of xerostomia and its association with systemic diseases and medications in the elderly: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Saliva plays an important role in oral health. Besides being involved in protection against bacteria and fungi, it transports nutrients and digestive enzymes, lubricates the mucosa, facilitates mastication, swallowing and speech, and acts in the process of tooth remineralization. 1,2 Saliva is produced by salivary glands, which are exocrine, such as the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands. These are the most important pairs of glands and are responsible for 95% of saliva production. 3 In addition, there are other smaller-sized glands throughout the oral cavity, lips and tongue, which help in the process of salivation. These structures produce saliva at certain moments and respond to a series of sensory, taste and olfactory stimuli.The volume of saliva production may vary according to stimulation. The salivary flow is greater after meals and lower during sleep. In healthy individuals, there is, on average, 1000 ml to 1500 ml of saliva secretion in a day. 3 However, there are several consequences of decreased salivary flow. These include some diseases and problems such as cavities, periodontal disease, various infections, dysphagia, halitosis and difficulties with the stability of dental prostheses. 4 Dry mouth syndrome or xerostomia is defined as decreased salivary flow or hypofunction of the salivary glands. 5 Its origins are multicausal and might be the result of a change in the salivary glands or a systemic imbalance. [5][6][7] Some determinants such as continuous use of medication, radiation, systemic diseases and factors common to aging might be associated with a dry mouth condition. 8 Xerostomia is not considered to be a disease but, rather, a manifestation of a series of pathological conditions that considerably alter patients' quality of life. It can affect chewing, swallowing, use of prostheses and speech. 9 Villa et al. reported that xerostomia that is secondary to hyposalivation may also result in fungal infections such as candidiasis, tooth decay, halitosis, changes to the sense

Impact of xerostomia and the use of dental prosthesis on the quality of life of elderly

“…Lesions in the hard and soft tissues of the mouth, which many patients report as causing discomfort and pain, are common in patients with xerostomia, due to dryness on the surface of the tongue, palate, oral floor, and mucosa 15,21,27 . The xerostomia scores in this study were high, consistent with other studies 13,19,24,[28][29][30][31] . In the present study, 45.5% of the elderly have depression or anxiety.…”

Medication Use Among Patients Reporting Xerostomia of an Academic Dental Clinic

“…Although proton-pump inhibitors do not possess anticholinergic activity, they may activate a similar H/K ATPase in the salivary gland or reduce water brash leading to less vagal reflux for saliva production. This was supported by Fornari et al 26 who found elderly people using continuous medication for the gastrointestinal tract were more likely to have xerostomia.…”

Apigenin, a Single Active Component of Herbal Extract, Alleviates Xerostomia via ERα-Mediated Upregulation of AQP5 Activation

“…Xerostomia has high incidence with age, which was demonstrated by the reports from the literature that one in ten for younger and one in four for elder Australians (55 years old as cutoff) experienced dry mouth, with a prevalence of 9.3% among 15to 34-year-olds, 11% among 35-to 54-year-olds, 17.6% among 55-to 74-year-olds, and 26.5% among those older than 75 years old (Jamieson and Thomson, 2020). Another study also reported xerostomia was one in five (19.1%) by 293 elderly people older than 60 years in Vanini, Brazil (Fornari et al, 2021). Moreover, xerostomia affects more than one-third of postmenopausal women (Nederfors, 2000).…”