Top tips for management of dry mouth in primary care

Dry mouth is an umbrella term for the presence of either xerostomia or hyposalivation. Xerostomia is the subjective sensation of dry mouth and is medically classified as a symptom.1,2,3 Hyposalivation is the objective reduction in the production of saliva where there is a resting salivary flow of less than 0.1 ml per minute or less than 0.5-0.7 ml per minute when stimulated.4,5 This is generally due to a decline in salivary gland function.6 There is a variety of aetiological factors which can contribute to dry mouth (Box 1).

In this paper, we discuss the oral manifestations and some investigations associated with dry mouth, as well as top tips for managing dry mouth in primary care, in addition to highlighting treatment alternatives in secondary care.