Satisfaction among Prosthetic Dental Patients with Xerostomia: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Xerostomia, Prosthodontics, Quality of life, Dry mouth.Abstract
Introduction: Due to the negative influence of dry mouth on the quality of life, and the lack of information about this condition among edentulous patients wearing denture prostheses, this study aimed to review the association between dry mouth and different factors affecting it, and its effect on the oral-health-related quality of life in patients wearing denture prosthesis.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the published scientific literature on articles published Before 2022, when applicable. We searched six databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews Database, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, American College of Physicians Journal Club, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We limited the citation search to articles written in English and describing studies that involved human subjects. Two independent authors reviewed the eligible articles to identify the matching with inclusion criteria.
Results: We identified 10 articles from the literature search, none of them being a report of a randomized controlled clinical trial. The few clinical research studies published on the topic of hyposalivation and denture retention represent a low level of evidence for establishing clinical practice guidelines. Accordingly, few conclusions can be made regarding the effects of hyposalivation treatment on denture retention and quality of life. It is strongly recommended that randomized controlled clinical trials be conducted in the denture-wearing population with dry mouth.
Conclusions: The results indicate that xerostomia is a significantly strong predictor of the quality of life in elderly patients than the dental status or the character of prosthetic restorations. Nevertheless, data showed that both the number of teeth/implants in the upper jaw and the presence of gum-supported dentures in both jaws may significantly impair the quality of life in elderly patients.
