Department of Prosthodontics, Regensburg University Medical Center, Regensburg, Germany.
Prosthodontics and Dental Materials Clinic, University Hospital, Leipzig University, Liebigstraße 12, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
Clin Oral Investig. 2019 Dec;23(12):4189-4194. doi: 10.1007/s00784-019-02858-4. Epub 2019 Feb 21.
The aim of this study was to investigate the attitude, observations, and knowledge of German dentists regarding the management of dry mouth.
A questionnaire including queries about attitudes, observations, and treatment options in patients with dry mouth was developed and sent to all 1251 dentist members of a regional German dental association.
An overall total of 284 returned questionnaires were included in the analyses, which relates to a response rate of 22.7%. Dentists infrequently encountered dry mouth in their clinical routine, yet were well aware that patients suffer from the symptoms of dry mouth; for affected patients, the majority of participating dentists provided specific dental prophylaxis measures. Drug side effects, neoplasia, and psychological disorders were regarded as the primary etiological factors for dry mouth, and caries, increased plaque formation, and rhagades as the most frequently observed clinical symptoms. While the majority of participating dentists was of the opinion that saliva substitutes are useful treatment options in patients with dry mouth, only few frequently recommended their use. Mechanical and gustatory stimulation of salivary flow as well as the advice to rinse with water were the most frequently pursued treatment options.
Despite the high prevalence of dry mouth identified in epidemiological studies, it appears to be an infrequent observation in clinical routine.
Pre- and postgraduate education should sensitize dentists for dry mouth and its treatment options.
本研究旨在调查德国牙医对口干症管理的态度、观察和知识。
开发了一份包含有关口干症患者态度、观察和治疗选择的查询的问卷，并将其发送给德国一个地区牙科协会的所有 1251 名牙医成员。
共纳入了 284 份完整的问卷进行分析，回复率为 22.7%。牙医在临床常规中很少遇到口干症，但清楚地知道患者患有口干症的症状；对于受影响的患者，大多数参与的牙医提供了特定的口腔预防措施。药物副作用、肿瘤和心理障碍被认为是口干症的主要病因，而龋齿、菌斑形成增加和皲裂是最常观察到的临床症状。虽然大多数参与的牙医认为唾液替代品是口干症患者有用的治疗选择，但很少有人经常推荐使用。机械和味觉刺激唾液流以及用水漱口是最常采用的治疗选择。
尽管在流行病学研究中确定了口干症的高患病率，但它在临床常规中似乎很少被观察到。
应在研究生前和研究生教育中使牙医意识到口干症及其治疗选择。
