The Impact of Hyposalivation on Quality of Life (QoL) and Oral Health in the Aging Population of Al Madinah Al Munawarrah

Mohammad S. Ahmad, Ahmed Bhayat, Muhammad Sohail Zafar and Khalid H. Al-Samadani
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Mohammad S. Ahmad: Dental Public Heath, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawarrah 41311, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Bhayat: Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Muhammad Sohail Zafar: Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawarrah 41311, Saudi Arabia
Khalid H. Al-Samadani: Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawarrah 41311, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Hyposalivation (HS) affects aging individuals by causing pain and discomfort in the oral cavity. The aim here was to determine the impact of hyposalivation and the saliva pH on the quality of life and caries status of geriatrics population. A total of 138 male outpatients attending the Taibah University College of Dentistry (TUCoD) dental clinic were included in the study. The saliva flow, pH, Quality of Life (QoL), and caries status were recorded. The QoL was measured using the Arabic version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the caries status was recorded using the Decayed, Missed, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. The mean age was 67.5 years and 64% were classified as having hyposalivation. The older respondents tended to have a lower saliva flow and pH compared to their younger counterparts. There was a significant inverse association ( p = 0.02) between the caries status and mean saliva flow rate. There was also a significant ( p < 0.001) positive correlation between caries and the OHIP-14 scores (Spearman’s ? = 0.293). The prevalence of hyposalivation was relatively high and there was an inverse relationship between the age, the saliva flow, and pH. Those with more caries reported significantly poor QoL.

Keywords: edentulous; geriatric; hypo salivation; Oral Health Impact Profile-14; xerostomia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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