Prevalence of subjective feelings of dry mouth in the elderly

Dry mouth is a common disorder in elderly individuals. It is not, however, necessarily related to decreased salivary flow rate, since subjective feelings of oral dryness have also been found in those with normal flow rates. The aim of this study was to examine in elderly individuals the prevalence of subjective complaints related to dry mouth, and their association with salivary flow rates and the use of systemic medication. In 1990 and 1991, 368 elderly inhabitants of Helsinki, Finland, had their oral health status examined. In addition to the clinical examination, 341 subjects were interviewed regarding different oral and non-oral complaints related to dry mouth. Findings showed that 46% (n = 158) of the subjects had noticed subjective symptoms of dry mouth. Continuous oral dryness was reported by 12% (n = 40) of the subjects, 6% of the men and 14% of the women (p < 0.05). In these 40, the oral and non-oral symptoms were more frequent in subjects reporting continuous dry mouth compared with controls. Continuous dry mouth was clearly associated with the female gender, with mouth breathing and with the use of systemic medications.