Influence of xerostomia on oral health-related quality of life in the elderly: a 5-year longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
Xerostomia and tooth loss are major oral health problems in the elderly. The aim of this longitudinal study was to characterize the influence of xerostomia on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among elderly Japanese people.


METHODS
A total of 99 community-dwelling, independently living individuals aged 60 years and older were interviewed and underwent dental examination at baseline and at a 5-year follow-up. The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 and the Xerostomia Inventory were used to assess OHRQoL and xerostomia severity, respectively.


RESULTS
Participants whose xerostomia worsened over the 5-year period had a significantly poorer follow-up OHRQoL. Linear regression models showed that tooth loss and worsening xerostomia were significant predictors of poorer follow-up OHRQoL.


CONCLUSIONS
Tooth loss and worsening xerostomia result in poorer OHRQoL among older Japanese people.
Resident, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Gerodontology, and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.
Kaori
K
Enoki
Assistant Professor, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Gerodontology, and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: digiflex@dent.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Ken-Ich
KI
Matsuda
Associate Professor, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Gerodontology, and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.
Kazunori
K
Ikebe
Resident, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Gerodontology, and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.
Shunsuke
S
Murai
Visiting Academic Staff, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Gerodontology, and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.
Minoru
M
Yoshida
Professor, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Gerodontology, and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Yoshinobu
Y
Maeda
Professor, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
William Murray
WM
Thomson
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000150:complications*