There are many diseases such as Xerostomia and Salivary Gland Hypofunction, radiation therapy in the head and neck area, and medications that cause dry mouth. In this article, we present several treatment options for older patients experiencing dry mouth. Sections...
By far, the most common cause of long standing dry mouth particularly in older adults is the use of xerogenic medications [30]. There are now projected to be over a thousand medications associated with subjective and/or objective oral dryness either by interfering...
There are numerous questionnaires used to assess dry mouth symptoms, including various quality of life scales and some specific instruments such as the Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ) [22] and the Xerostomia Inventory (XI) [47], [48]. An extensive discussion of the...
Salivary Gland Hypofunction in Aging Epidemiology Epidemiologic studies have revealed increases in the prevalence and incidence of dry mouth with age [29], [30]; however, in most studies aging per se is not indicated as the cause or a major risk factor for dry...
Older Adults and Oral Conditions The proportion of older adult people in developed countries has increased considerably during the last few decades and is expected to increase further in the next years. This is a result of what has been called the “demographic...
Saliva, its Function and Benefits Saliva provides important protection to the teeth and the tissues of the mouth due to its cleansing, lubricating and antimicrobial properties [11], [12]; promotion of remineralization of the teeth; transport of digestive enzymes; and...
