Factors Associated with Oral Dryness in Women: An Analysis by Age View PDF

^*Kayoko Ito
Oral Rehabilitation, Medical And Dental Hospital, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

^*Corresponding Author:

Kayoko Ito
Oral Rehabilitation, Medical And Dental Hospital, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
Email:k-ito@dent.niigata-u.ac.jp

Published on: 2021-12-28

Abstract

Aim: Factors associated with oral dryness have not been clarified, although it affects people’s quality of life. Few reports have discussed the relationship between climacteric symptoms and oral dryness. This study aimed to explore factors associated with oral dryness by age.
Methods: We recruited 372 participants. Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire that covered medical history, climacteric symptoms, and dryness of the eyes, nose, mouth, skin and vagina. Data were collected in May 2018. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between oral dryness and other factors.
Results: The prevalence of oral dryness was 29%–46%. The number of dryness regions was significantly higher in participants with oral dryness in all age groups. Oral and climacteric symptoms were observed in the oral dryness group. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed the number of dryness regions was a significant explanatory variable for oral dryness.
Conclusion: Considering factors associated with oral dryness will support early detection and may contribute to improved quality of life.

Keywords

Menopause; Oral Dryness; Xerostomia; Quality of Life; Web-Based Survey

Introduction

Xerostomia is defined as a subjective complaint of a dry mouth [1], whereas hyposalivation is an objective reduction in salivary secretion [2]. The causes of hyposalivation are diverse, and include Sjögren’s syndrome, head and neck radiotherapy, adverse effects of medications on oral dryness (xerogenic medications), systemic disease and psychological stress [1,3]. The tolerance for dryness varies from person to person [4]. Therefore, the presence of subjective oral dryness does not always match a person’s salivary secretion. A previous study reported a 47.1% agreement rate between the subjective complaint of a dry mouth and the objective measurement of unstimulated salivary flow [5]. Another report demonstrated that 75% of female patients with burning mouth syndrome complained of a dry mouth, whereas only 46.4% showed less than 0.1 mL/min of unstimulated saliva secretion [6]. In dry mouth clinic at Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, the volume of unstimulated and stimulated salivary secretion was not decreased in 14.5% of patients who were diagnosed with xerostomia [7]; 78.4% of these patients were female. Previous analyses by age showed that xerostomia was reported more often in women aged ≤55 years; with rates of 21.3% in women aged ≤55 years, 10.6% in women aged 56–64 years, and 10.3% in women aged ≥65 years. The mean age of menopause in Japan is 50.5 years, and the 10 years from age 45–55 years are considered to represent menopause. The reason for xerostomia being commonly observed in women aged ≤55 years may be related to the decrease of female hormones [8,9]. Compared with hyposalivation, the causes of xerostomia have not yet been clarified. It is also possible that risk factors for xerostomia differ from those for hyposalivation. Clarifying the causes of xerostomia may lead to early detection and treatment.