The Challenge of Medication-Induced Dry Mouth in Residential Aged Care

Abstract

With a reported prevalence between 20% and 30%, dry mouth is more common among older people than any other age group. The major risk factor for dry mouth is polypharmacy. Older people take more medications than any other age group, not only for symptomatic relief of various age-associated chronic diseases, but also to reduce the likelihood of the complications that may arise from those conditions. Most aged care residents take even more medications than older people who are living in their own homes. The greater the number of medications taken, the greater the associated anticholinergic burden, and the more likely it is that the individual will suffer from dry mouth. The condition not only affects the dentition and ability to wear dentures, but also the sufferers’ quality of life. Treating dry mouth is a considerable challenge for clinicians. As medication use is by far the most important risk factor, there is a need for pharmacists, doctors and dentists to work together to prevent this from occurring. Medication review and deprescribing is a key strategy, but there have not yet been any randomised control trials of its efficacy in reducing the occurrence of dry mouth.

Keywords

• xerostomia
• dry mouth
• polypharmacy
• residential aged care