Effect of xerostomia and salivary flow on adaptation to conventional complete dentures

This in vivo study aimed to assess the prevalence of xerostomia and quantify salivary flow in users of complete dentures (CDs) as well as examine correlations between these factors and patients' adaptation to new conventional CDs. In this study, 40 individuals responded to a questionnaire assessing the presence of xerostomia and underwent sialometry tests to determine salivary flow and the predominant type of saliva. Salivary flow was assessed during 2 distinct evaluation periods under both unstimulated and stimulated conditions. The initial evaluation period began immediately after the placement of conventional CDs and included a total of 3 sialometry tests performed weekly. The second assessment occurred 4 to 5 months after prosthesis delivery and involved completion of the xerostomia questionnaire, a single collection of unstimulated and stimulated saliva, and an inspection of the CD conditions. The McNemar test was employed to analyze the interaction between the sex of the patients and the presence or absence of xerostomia, while the paired t test was used to assess salivary flow under unstimulated and stimulated conditions in relation to the initial and 4-month evaluation periods. The Wilcoxon test was applied to analyze the interaction between salivary flow and the number of times the patient returned for adjustment. During the initial evaluation period, there were no statistically significant differences in salivary flow based on the collection point (first, second, or third), presence or absence of xerostomia, or predominant saliva type (P > 0.05). Higher salivary flow was associated with fewer return visits for adjustment (P < 0.05). The presence of xerostomia was not influenced by the type of saliva or sex of the patient. However, salivary flow had a direct impact on the adaptation of patients to conventional CDs, with higher salivary flow associated with fewer return visits for adjustment.