Background:

Hyposalivation is an objective decrease in salivary flow and it can produce xerostomia; which is a subjective sensation of dry mouth, common condition in senior population.

Objectives:

To identify the association between xerostomia and hyposalivation and its risk factors in people aged 60 years and older, and to investigate the association with medications, habits and other oral complications.

Methods:

211 participants were included. Xerostomia data was collected using a validated Spanish-Xerostomia Inventory (XI-sp). Unstimulated whole-salivary flow rates were measured to detect hyposalivation. Results were analyzed using Chi-square, Fisher tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis. p <.05.

Results:

No significant association was detected between Xerostomia and Hyposalivation (p=.0666). Xerostomia 84.3%(p=.036) and hyposalivation 81.4%(p=.004) occur more frequently in women. A significant association was found between hyposalivation with the female gender (OR = 2.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-5.11, p=0.015); denture stomatitis (OR=3.71, 95% CI:1.03-13.3, p=0.045) and atrophic glossitis (OR=3.72, 95% CI:1.78-8.1, p=0.001). Only female gender (OR=2.54; 95% CI:1.19-5.43, p=0.016) was significantly associated with xerostomia.

Conclusions:

No statistically significant association was found between hyposalivation and xerostomia. A significant association was found between oral candidiasis, denture stomatitis and the atrophic tongue with hyposalivation. Being woman was a risk factor for xerostomia and hyposalivation.

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