A Study on the Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Dry Mouth

구강건조증 환자의 임상적 특징에 관한 연구

Advances in medical procedures and utilization of medication have resulted in expanding aged population, which leads to increased aged patients with salivary hypofunction and its associated symptoms in dental clinic. The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical characteristics of patients with dry mouth and its correlation with their salivary flow rate. Forty dry mouth patients (7 males, 33 females, mean age 42.0 years) whose flow rate of unstimulated whole saliva was less than 0.15 ml/min were included and their gender- and age-matched controls (7 males, 33 females, mean age 42.9 years) who did not report any complaints, suggestive of salivary gland dysfunction and had the flow rate of greater than 0.20 ml/min were included for comparison. The salivary flow rate was measured in both unstimulated and stimulated conditions. Dry mouth-related clinical information including history, dry mouth associated symptoms, exacerbating and relieving factors, drugs, systemic diseases, and family history was investigated using questionnaires. The differences in distribution of patients and control subjects to each question and their relation to the salivary flow rate were analyzed and we came to following conclusions. 1. There were statistically significant differences in the distribution of patients and controls to the following questions: the period and frequency of suffering from dry mouth; severity of dry feeling during a meal; severity of discomfort during swallowing; necessity of sipping liquids during swallowing dry foods, severity of discomfort in usual life due to dry feeling; self-assessment of residual salivary volume; taking medications. 2. The patients had more stress-related medical histories including indigestion, insomnia, and gastritis compared with controls. The patients took many kinds of medications to control their systemic diseases. 3. There were statistically significant differences in the salivary flow rate between different groups of patients to following questions: severity of dry feeling during a meal; severity of discomfort during swallowing; necessity of sipping liquids during swallowing dry foods. The difference was more significant in the case of stimulated salivary flow rate rather than unstimulated one. 4. The salivary flow rate of patients taking medications was significantly less than that of patients who did not take medications. The difference was more significant in the case of stimulated salivary flow rate rather than unstimulated one.