Impact of dry mouth and hyposalivation on oral health-related quality of life of elderly Japanese

Objective. To determine the association of hyposalivation and the perception of dry mouth with oral health-related quality of life for independently living elderly. Study design. The study sample consisted of 287 participants (mean age, 66.1 years) at a Senior Citizen educational system. Stimulated salivary flow rates during chewing were measured. The OHIP-14 to measure the impact of oral conditions on health-related quality of life was used, and summary OHIP-14 scores combining the response codes for the 14 items were analyzed. Results. A logistic regression analysis showed that a higher OHIP-14 score indicating a poorer quality of life was related to fewer residual teeth, perception of dry mouth on eating (OR: 4.01, P = .012) and hyposalivation (OR: 2.71, P = .006). Conclusion. It is suggested that both dry mouth and hyposalivation are important problems influencing the quality of life in independently living, relatively healthy elderly Japanese.