Xerostomia Diagnosis&management
Xerostomia is the subjective perception of oral dryness. It is associated with dysfunction of the salivary glands. Xerostomia and salivary gland dysfunction are most commonly due to: pharmaceuticals, systemic disease (ie, Sjögren’s syndrome), radiation therapy, dehydration, and emotional stress. There may be various degrees of salivary hypofunction depending upon the etiology; in some severe cases there may be complete lack of salivary function.This article discusses the etiology of xerostomia and the dentist’s role in the diagnosis and clinical management of this condition.
Other
Xerostomia is the subjective sensation of dry mouth, which is often (but not always) associated with hypofunction of the salivary glands.The term is derived from the Greek words ξηρός (xeros) meaning "dry" and στόμα (stoma) meaning "mouth
