title: The impact of xerostomia on oral-health-related quality of life among younger adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent research has suggested that chronic dry mouth affects the day-to-day lives of older people living in institutions. The condition has usually been considered to be a feature of old age, but recent work by our team produced the somewhat surprising finding that 10% of people in their early thirties are affected. This raises the issue of whether dry mouth is a trivial condition or a more substantial threat to quality of life among younger people. The objective of this study was to examine the association between xerostomia and oral-health-related quality of life among young adults while controlling for clinical oral health status and other potential confounding factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis of data from a longstanding prospective observational study of a Dunedin (New Zealand) birth cohort: clinical dental examinations and questionnaires were used at age 32. The main measures were xerostomia (the subjective feeling of dry mouth, measured with a single question) and oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measured using the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 923 participants (48.9% female), one in ten were categorised as 'xerostomic', with no apparent gender difference. There was a strong association between xerostomia and OHRQoL (across all OHIP-14 domains) which persisted after multivariate analysis to control for clinical characteristics, gender, smoking status and personality characteristics (negative emotionality and positive emotionality).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xerostomia is not a trivial condition; it appears to have marked and consistent effects on sufferers' day-to-day lives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. murray.thomson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: W Murray
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Herenia P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.forename: Richie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poulton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009520:New Zealand; D009909:Oral Health; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000209:etiology; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*