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Published on: February 2, 2020
Xerostomia: its prevalence and associations in the adult Australian population
Lisa M Jamieson1, William Murray Thomson2
1ARCPOH, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Background:
Little is known of the occurrence of dry mouth among Australians.
Aim:
To describe the prevalence and associations of xerostomia in a nationally representative sample of Australian adults.
Methods:
Dentate persons aged 15+ years were asked 'How often does your mouth feel dry?' (response options 'never', 'occasionally', 'frequently' or 'always'). Those responding 'frequently' or 'always' were classified as xerostomic.
Results:
The prevalence of xerostomia was 13.2% (95% CI 12.4, 14.0). It ranged from 9.3% (95% CI 7.9, 10.8) among 15-to-34-year-old to 26.5% (95% CI 23.3, 30.0) among those aged 75+ years. Prevalence was higher in the lowest income tertiles (24.5%, 95% CI 22.6, 26.5), lowest SEIFA tertiles (15.7%, 95% CI 14.2, 17.3), those who were dentally uninsured (16.6%, 95% CI 15.4, 17.8) and those with unfavourable dental visiting patterns (18.1%, 95% CI 16.2, 20.1).
Conclusions:
More than one in ten Australians experience dry mouth. Among older Australians, this estimate is one in four. With an ageing, medicated population that is increasing in size, xerostomia is a condition that needs to be better understood, recognized and managed by both dental and general health practitioners.
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