Xerostomia, reduced salivary flow, and oral burning: Associations from a cross-sectional study

Objective: Determine the association between xerostomia, salivary flow, and oral burning. Study Design: A cross-sectional retrospective study involving consecutive patients with an oral burning complaint during a 6-year period. Treatments including a dry mouth management protocol (DMP) along with other therapies were implemented. Study variables included xerostomia, unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UWSFR), pain intensity, and medication use. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations, linear regression, and Analysis of Variance. Results: Among the 124 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 99 were female, with a mean age of 63.1 (range 26-86) years. The baseline UWSFR was low (0.24 ± 0.29 mL/min) and 46% experienced hyposalivation (<0.1 mL/min). Xerostomia was reported by 77.7%, and 82.8% had coexistence of xerostomia and hyposalivation. DMP resulted in significant pain reduction between visits (P < .001). Conclusions: Hyposalivation and xerostomia were highly prevalent in patients with oral burning. A DMP proved beneficial to these patients.