Hyposalivation and xerostomia among Parkinson's disease patients and its impact on quality of life

Parkinson's disease (PD) adversely affects oral health (OH). However, the informative value of xerostomia compared to objective parameters and its impact on quality of life (QoL) are still unclear. This study aimed to explore whether xerostomia correlates with hyposalivation and to define its impact on OH-related QoL.Whole stimulated saliva (WSS) was collected from 30 patients with PD and 30 matched healthy controls. Objective parameters (community periodontal index of treatment needs, plaque/gingivitis index, mucosa situation and cheilitis angularis) and questionnaires (German Oral Health Impact Profile [OHIPG]-14, visual analogue scale [VAS], xerostomia [yes/no] and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-II) were assessed.Eighty-seven per cent of patients with PD showed hyposalivation vs 50% of controls (P = 0.001); 50% of patients with PD reported xerostomia, and none of controls (P < 0.001). The OHIPG-14 was impaired in patients with PD compared to controls (P < 0.001), PD patients with xerostomia reported mean VAS values of 4.1 (s.d.: 2.2). WSS did not correlate with VAS values.Half of the patients with PD reported xerostomia and underestimated their xerostomic status, with higher probability than healthy controls. WSS did not reflect the grade of xerostomia. Patients with PD suffered from impaired OH-related QoL. Dental teams should not overlook these oral health risks.