A Comparison of the Quantity of Unstimulated Whole Saliva between Postmenopausal and Premenopausal Women

Abstract

Introduction: Menopause associates with some psychological and physical changes in the body as well as various unpleasant symptoms in the orofacial complex such as xerostomia and a sense of burning, the mechanisms of which are yet to be fully understood. The goal of this study is to compare the quantity of unstimulated whole saliva between postmenopausal and premenopausal women. Materials and Methods:In the current study, 40 postmenopausal and 40 premenopausal (20-50 years old) women were chosen. After investigating the psychological condition of patients by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the frequency of xerostomia was estimated using a special questionnaire. The volume of accumulative non-stimulated saliva was measured by the spitting method, and the results were analyzed by Chi Square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: According to the results, there was no difference in mean volume of unstimulated whole saliva between the two groups. Postmenopausal women, complained from xerostomia significantly more than premenopausal women (%45 versus %17, P= 0.003). Psychological conditions of the two study groups did not show any significant difference. Conclusion: According to the current research, menopause has no effect on the volume of unstimulated saliva in women.

Keywords

• Menopause Unstimulated whole saliva Xerostomia