Evaluation of the Effect of Xerostomia and Hyposalivation on Oral Health Related Quality of Life among Polymedicated Patients

Aim: To evaluate the effect of xerostomia & hyposalivation on oral health related quality of life among polymedicated patients.

Study Design: A descriptive cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Saliva samples were obtained from the participants and Questionnaires were answered in the Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Lenora Institute of Dental Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, from 12th Oct 2021 to 25th Nov 2021.

Methodology: A total of 62 polymedicated subjects who are regularly administered with any two of the following medications: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, oral hypoglycemics, antihypertensives, antihistamines for more than 1 year were randomly selected. The stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates of subjects were recorded using sialometry. The subjects further answered Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire (OHIP-14sp) and all the obtained values were analyzed using Spearman correlation test with a significant P value of 0.05 and SPSS version 23.

Results: The presence of hyposalivation and xerostomia was observed in majority of the study population. Patients with hyposalivation revealed a mean score of 9.50±3.25 and 15.0 ± 6.8 with the OHIP and SXI questionnaires respectively, with a P value of .10 which was considered statistically significant.

Conclusion: The correlation of SXI and OHIP-14sp scores with the prevalence of xerostomia and hyposalivation suggests the need for preventive measures related to oral health among polymedicated patients.