Oral signs and symptoms as predictors of salivary gland hypofunction in general dental practice.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the signs and symptoms of oral dryness as predictors of salivary gland hypofunction (SGH) in general dental practice.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Prospective study recruiting adult patients attending five general dental practices in Merseyside in 1999.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Patients were screened for subjective symptoms of oral dysfunction and clinical signs of oral dryness. Patients with oral symptoms or signs of SGH were invited to undergo sialometry. Results were analysed using multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

1103 patients were screened for signs and symptoms of oral dryness, 115 reported continuous xerostomia, of these 65 were also clinically (subjectively) assessed as having a dry oral mucosa. One hundred and one patients attended for sialometry and 73% of these had objective evidence of SGH. Neither the patients' complaints of oral dryness or the assessment of dryness of the oral mucosa were significant predictors of SGH.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms of oral dysfunction and clinical signs of oral dryness were not significant predictors of SGH in dental practice.