Mundtrockenheit — eine wichtige orale Erkrankung mit zunehmender Prävalenz

Abstract

Dry mouth is an oral disease affecting approximately 10–20 % of the population. As its prevalence increases with age it is likely that the prevalence of dry mouth will increase significantly as a result of the demographic changes in Germany. Defining dry mouth, it is necessary to distinguish between hyposalivation, which refers to an objective reduction in the secretion of saliva and coincides with clinical problems such as increased caries risk, and xerostomia, which refers to the subjective perception of dry mouth and regularly coincides with a decrease in the quality of life in affected patients. The etiology of dry mouth is manifold, and severe cases are frequently a result of radiation therapy of malignancies in the head and neck areas as well as autoimmune diseases. In elderly patients, dry mouth is regularly caused by systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or the side effects of xerogenic drugs. The therapeutic approaches for treating patients with dry mouth include both causative and adjuvant options. Causative treatment options include the treatment of underlying systemic diseases or changes in the patient’s medication, which requires close collaboration between the dentist and the other medical fields involved and is sometimes difficult to implement. In contrast, adjuvant treatment options focus on stimulating the secretion of saliva or on relieving the symptoms of dry mouth by using saliva substitutes. In either case it is necessary to regularly provide preventive approaches in order to address the increased caries risk in dentate patients. The aim of this article is to give a detailed outline on the etiological, diagnostic, and clinical aspects of dry mouth as well as to present therapeutic options.