Salivary flow rate and periodontal infection - a study among subjects aged 75 years or older.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the relation of stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates to periodontal infection in home-dwelling elderly people aged 75 years or older.


METHODS
This study was based on a subpopulation of 157 (111 women, 46 men) home-dwelling, dentate, non-smoking elderly people (mean age 79.8, SD 3.6 years) from the Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly Study). The data were collected by interview and oral clinical examination.


RESULTS
Persons with very low (< 0.7 ml min⁻¹) and low stimulated salivary flow rates (0.7- < 1.0 ml min⁻¹) had a decreased likelihood of having teeth with deepened (≥ 4 mm) periodontal pockets, RR: 0.7, CI: 0.5-0.9 and RR: 0.7, CI: 0.5-0.9, respectively, when compared with those with normal stimulated salivary flow. Persons with a very low unstimulated salivary flow rate (< 0.1 ml min⁻¹) had a decreased likelihood of having teeth with deepened (≥ 4 mm) periodontal pockets, RR 0.8, CI: 0.6-1.0, when compared with subjects with low/normal unstimulated salivary flow.


CONCLUSIONS
In a population of dentate, home-dwelling non-smokers, aged 75 years or older, low stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates were weakly associated with a decreased likelihood of having teeth with deep periodontal pockets.
Department of Periodontology, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Anna-Maija.Syrjala@oulu.fi
A-M H
AM
Syrjälä
L
L
Raatikainen
K
K
Komulainen
M
M
Knuuttila
P
P
Ruoppi
S
S
Hartikainen
R
R
Sulkava
P
P
Ylöstalo
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000145:classification; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000145:classification; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000145:classification; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000145:classification; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012907:Smoking; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000150:complications