Abstract
Dry mouth is a common complaint among elderly people; it is often associated with risks of various disorders. Maintaining oral health helps maintain general health, which is important in aging populations. In Japan, many elderly people take prescription medications and visit community pharmacies. This study investigated the prevalence of geriatric patients complaining of dry mouth and its relationship with objective oral dryness measurements. We also investigated the efficacy of a moisturizing agent on oral dryness.
The subjects were 140 geriatric patients living in their homes and visiting community pharmacies regularly. Subjective complaints of dry mouth were determined by face-to-face interview and questionnaires. Objective oral dryness was measured using an oral wetness test, KISO-WeT. The efficacy of a moisturizing agent, KINUSUI®, was investigated in the patients who had both subjective and objective dryness.
The mean age of the patients was 75.1 years. A total of 38.6% of patients complained of dry mouth; of them, 86.0% had objective oral dryness. Most (85.7%) patients who used the moisturizing agent reported positive effects; objective oral dryness improved significantly as a result of using the agent (P < 0.05). Over 40% of users stated that they would continue using the moisturizing agent.
A substantial proportion of geriatric patients complained of dry mouth. The present results indicate that objective measurements of dryness are closely associated with subjective complaints. Pharmacists in community pharmacies are able to collect necessary information and offer moisturizing agents to benefit the oral health of geriatric patients.
