Prevalence and health promotion actions related to hyposalivation and mouth discomfort in a nursing homesfor elders
International Journal of Development Research
Prevalence and health promotion actions related to hyposalivation and mouth discomfort in a nursing homesfor elders
Received 27th February, 2022; Received in revised form 03rd March, 2022; Accepted 17th April, 2022; Published online 27th May, 2022
Copyright © 2022, Janayne de Sousa Oliveira; Maria Vieira de Lima Saintrain; Nathalie Barreto Saraiva Vilar; Firmina Hermelinda Anjo Albuquerque; Ivanira Maria Moreira Holanda; José Manuel Peixoto Caldas; Janaína Alvarenga Aragao; Luciano Silva Figueiredo Pos; Carina Bandeira Bezerra; Anya Pimentel Gomes Fernandes Vieira-Meyer. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objectiveto verify the prevalence of hyposalivation inan institutionalized elder population and its relationship with oral discomfort. A cross-sectional study was conducted with older people living in a Nursing Homein Fortaleza-Brazil. Data collection occurred through the application of sociodemographic questionnaire; sialometry examination, test for evaluating the salivary flow speed; and by a subjective quantification of dry mouth intensity (Visual Analog Scale). Results: sixty-five older people aged between 61 and 91 years (mean74.5±8.0) were evaluated, 30(46.2%) were women and 35(53.8%) men. The majority had low monthly income (55;84.6%) and low schooling (44;67.7%). The mean salivary flow was 0.4 ±0.2, withvery low flow (0.1-0.3 ml/min) being more prevalent; females presented lower salivary flow (p=0.033) than males; there was an association between salivary flow and dry mouth sensation (p<0.001) and halitosis (p<0.001). The correlation between sialometry and VAS showed that the lower the salivary flow, the greater the perception of dry mouth sensation. Health promotion actions and treatment (proper hydration; tooth brushing; saliva stimulants) can be performed in order to minimize dry mouth/ hyposalivation impact on elders’ quality of life. Conclusion: Low salivary flow was prevalent in the study subjects. It interferes in oral discomfort and causes dry mouth sensation.
