The relationship between moisture of the oral mucosa and salivary flow rate was clinically investigated. Fifty patients complaining of dry mouth, 19 males and 31 females, with the average age of 60.4±17.1 years old, were the subjects of this study.
The subjects included 23 patients diagnosed as xerostomia with salivary flow rate of lower than 10ml/10 min and 27 healthy patients with salivary flow rate of higher than 10ml/10min. We measured the moisture of the oral mucosa at four sites: tongue dorsum, buccal mucosa, and upper and lower lips.
The moisture of the oral mucosa in the patients with xerostomia was lower at all measured sites, compared with the healthy patients. In addition, the moisture of the oral mucosa decreased the salivary flow rate in the patients with xerostomia.
In conclusion, the moisture meter is considered to be useful for diagnosis of xerostomia.
