Abstract
Many elder groups have been studied to determine their frequency of dry mouth complaints and their salivary flow rates. To appreciate these it is first necessary to understand two related concepts. First, complaints of dry mouth (or xerostomia) may not reflect reduced salivary function may instead reflect dehydration or other systemic conditions. Therefore studies that only examine the complaints of dry mouth will not reflect the true risk for oral diseases in the population. Second, it is very difficult to determine values for normal salivary function. Other studies suggest that salivary flow rates in elders are related to the number of medications they take on a regular basis, time number of systemic disorders they report, and the length of time for which they consume the drugs.
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