Xerostomia: A current update for practitioners.

Hemalatha, V. T.; Julius, A.; Kumar, S. P. Kishore; Periyasamy, Tamil Thangam; Sundar, N. Mani

Xerostomia is a subjective feeling of oral dryness, which should be defined by the objective measurement of saliva flow rate. Saliva plays an important protective role in the oral environment, and reductions in saliva quantity are known to increase the risk of oral diseases. Importantly, xerostomia or the perception of a dry mouth is now being recognized as an important risk factor for dental diseases. Furthermore, the subjective sensation of a dry mouth is a debilitating condition in itself that impacts on the quality of life of sufferers. With approximately 1 in 5 people reporting some form of dry mouth and an increasing prevalence in the elderly, it is important for clinicians to have a thorough understanding of this problem. The aim of this paper is to review some of literature relating to xerostomia to provide an evidence-based update for clinicians.

SALIVA; XEROSTOMIA; DISEASE risk factors; ORAL diseases

Drug Invention Today, 2019, Vol 12, Issue 3, p388

0975-7619

Academic Journal