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

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.

Comparison of Taste Threshold in Smokers and Non-Smokers Using Electrogustometry and Fungiform Papillae Count: A Case Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking in long term is not only responsible for cancerous changes but is also one of the reasons of altered taste sensation in smokers. These taste changes are hypothesized to be due to reduction in density of fungiform papillae on the dorsum of the tongue. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between fungiform papillae count, blood Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) and electrogustometric thresholds in smokers and non-smokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fungiform papillae count was assessed using digital photography and imaging software while electrogustometric thresholds were assessed using modified Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) machine in 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers. The subjects also underwent RDW evaluation. The data collected was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Fungiform papillae counts in smokers were less than those of non-smokers and an inverse relationship was detected between smoking and fungiform papillae count. Electrogustometric thresholds were more in smokers than non-smokers and showed direct relationship with smoking. RDW was significantly more in smokers compared to non-smokers. An inverse relationship was observed between fungiform papillae count and RDW. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that smokers have a high taste threshold because of decrease in the number of fungiform papillae on the tongue and RDW values do show an inverse relationship with fungiform papillae density which depicts subclinical nutritional deficiency bringing atrophic changes in tongue.