The presence of subjective feelings of xerostomia in the institutionalized elderly

Introduction: The presence of subjective feelings of dry mouth is the most common oral problem in the institutionalized elderly. Purpose: to assess the subjective presence of xerostomia in the institutionalized elderly. Materials and method: Seventy individuals, older than 65 years and institutionalized in a particular nursing home, were evaluated. The subjective presence of xerstomia was determined. To determine the level of expressiveness of xerostomia, a questionnaire recommended by Carda et al was used. Results: 62.8% of the subjects believed that they had subjective feelings of xerostomia. The majority of the subjects, around 40%, had mild (xerostomia1), while around 25% of the subjects had severe xerostomia (xerostomia 3). Conclusion: Xerostomia is highly prevalent in the institutionalized elderly. Moreover, there is a high percentage of institutionalized elderly people who use drugs that may cause xerostomia. Key words: xerostomia, the institutionalized elderly, dry mout