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Xerostomia

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Diseases of the Oral Mucosa

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Abstract

Xerostomia is a relatively common subjective feeling or symptom, especially in elder population. The prevalence of xerostomia is variable in different countries and races, and it is believed to be as high as about 50% in certain subgroups. It is an unpleasant condition with oral dryness or burning sensation, which have long-term and negative effect upon quality of life. The etiology of xerostomia is complex, including systemic and local factors, and it is associated with various diseases and conditions, such as Sjögren syndrome, diabetes mellitus, infections, radiation therapy, and medications. Diagnosis of xerostomia requires a detailed patient history, a comprehensive medical history, and a questionnaire, which is often helpful to collect enough information before a thorough oral examination. Xerostomia may be classified as true xerostomia and pseudo xerostomia, according to the accurate measurement of salivary gland flow rate. The unstimulated salivary gland flow rate ≤ 0.1 mL/min and stimulated salivary gland flow rate ≤ 0.5 ~ 0.7 mL/min are regarded as salivary gland hypofunction. Salivary gland hypofunction can also be evaluated by sialography, scintigraphy with technetium-99m, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging. Preventive measures are of great importance in management of xerostomia, and topical medications are the first-line treatments, with salivary stimulants/substitutes and systemic agents applied as alternative methods.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Zhang Jiali, Department of Oral Pathology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, and Prof. Li Bo, Department of Oral Radiology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, for the photographs of Figs. 47.5, 47.12 and 47.13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Medicine, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

    Ge-Fei Du & Gang Zhou

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  1. Ge-Fei Du
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  2. Gang Zhou
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Correspondence to Gang Zhou .

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  1. Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED) and Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    Enno Schmidt

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Du, GF., Zhou, G. (2021). Xerostomia. In: Schmidt, E. (eds) Diseases of the Oral Mucosa. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82804-2_47

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82804-2_47

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-82803-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-82804-2

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