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

Objective 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. Materials and Methods 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. Results 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