PENGARUH XEROSTOMIA TERHADAP KESEHATAN GIGI DAN MULUT TERKAIT KUALITAS HIDUP PADA USILA

Abstract

Background : With the increase of the age, the organ function will have reduced and it could raise various health complaints like xerostomia. Xerostomia is caused by a reduction of a saliva secretion that can cause a discomfort in the oral cavity, increased pain, increase of dental caries levels, oral infections, speaking difficulities, and swallowing food difficulities that leading to decreased nutrient intake followed by weight loss. These complaints can influence the oral health and later would predictly influence the quality of life. Aim : This research is to describe the influence of xerostomia on oral health-related quality of life in elderly. Methods : Type of study is an analytical observational with cross sectional design approach. Samples are selected by purposive sampling method. Subjects are elderly ≥60 years old; there were 59 respondents for each group. Data consists of xerostomia status (xerostomia diagnosed subjectively) and oral health-related quality of life (by questionnaire OHIP-14). Normality data is tested by Kolmogrov-Sminov then followed by Mann Whitney U-test. Results : Mean score of OHIP-14 in elderly group with xerostomia is higher than elderly group without xerostomia. This suggests that the quality of life related to oral health in elderly group with xerostomia tends to be lower than in elderly group without xerostomia. Kolmogrov-Sminov test showed an abnormal data distribution, thus Mann Whitney U-test is conducted then it gave a significant difference (p <0.05) Conclusion : Xerostomia influence the oral health-related quality of life in elderly. Keywords : Xerostomia, Oral Health-Related Quality of Life, Elderly