Utility of two methodologies in the clinical assessment of oral dryness in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the oral dryness in postmenopausal women and to correlate the salivary flow rate determined by sialometry with the clinical oral dryness score (CODS) obtained from Challacombe Scale. To correlate between subjective and objective oral dryness and relationship of salivary flow rate with that of the duration of menopause.Materials and Methods:Sixty postmenopausal women were questioned regarding their oral dryness status and the duration of menopause. Patients complaining of xerostomia formed the case group and rest formed the control group. CODS was assessed based on the 10 features of oral dryness. Unstimulated whole salivary (UWS) flow rate was assessed by sialometry for 5 min.Results:Highly significant negative correlation was observed between UWS and CODS (r = −0.651), low negative correlation was noted between the duration of menopause and UWS flow rates (r = −0.159), and no significant correlation was found between subjective oral dryness with that of UWS flow rates (P = 0.0964). There was no statistically significant difference between case and control group with regard to CODS (P = 0.525).Conclusion:A good correlation of CODS with sialometry scores indicates that CODS can be utilized for semiquantitative assessment of oral dryness. It appears that UWS has poor correlation with duration of menopause. Xerostomia and UWS were not significantly related.

Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Salivary Function: A Systematic Review

“…Additionally, PROMs can provide insight into patient QOL and functional status, which may not correlate directly to physician assessment. 49,50 Regarding salivary function, PROMs have been used to compare the morbidities of new head and neck cancer treatments and QOL improvement after de-escalation of radiation therapy, as well as response to new treatments for Sjogren's syndrome and xerostomia. [7][8][9]51 PROMs for chronic sialadenitis have also been used to assess the outcomes of gland-preserving surgery and may provide data to inform future preoperative patient counseling.…”

“…Alongside objective disease markers, such as salivary flow rate or inflammatory markers, patient‐reported symptoms can aid physicians in determining disease severity and illness trajectory. Additionally, PROMs can provide insight into patient QOL and functional status, which may not correlate directly to physician assessment 49,50 . Regarding salivary function, PROMs have been used to compare the morbidities of new head and neck cancer treatments and QOL improvement after de‐escalation of radiation therapy, as well as response to new treatments for Sjogren's syndrome and xerostomia 7–9,51 .…”

Assessment of Oral Health in Long-Term Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Patients: Significant Aspects of Nursing Care

“…Another test that can be used to visually assess dry mouth is the Challacombe Scale, which describes the 10 characteristic symptoms of the lack of saliva in the mouth. Using the scale, the degree of dryness can be defined as mild, moderate, or severe [ 33 ].…”

World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII: Development of a core outcome set for dry mouth: a systematic review of outcome domains for salivary hypofunction

“…274 Eighteen studies used multiple clinical signs of hyposalivation as their outcome measure. The most common outcome measure used was the Clinical Oral Dryness Score (CODS) (colloquially known as the 'Challacombe Scale of Clinical Oral Dryness'), 77,78,85,105,213,218,255,278,353 followed by a physician carrying out a clinical evaluation to assess for multiple signs of dry mouth. 39,169,177,261,298,354,355 Other methods included scoring methods such as the Objective Oral Mucosa Scale (OOMS) 356 and a dichotomous objective dry mouth score.…”