Association between oral mucosal lesions and xerostomia: a cross-sectional study in a Brazilian population sample

This study aimed to establish the frequency of oral mucosal conditions and xerostomia, identify a possible association between them, and verify their associated factors from a sample of the population of Três Corações, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with volunteers without age restriction. To evaluate the presence of oral mucosal conditions, an intra-oral examination was performed and a clinical diagnosis was established based on the official classifications of oral diseases. The report of xerostomia was identified by a validated questionnaire completed during anamnesis. Descriptive and association statistics were performed using a significance level of 5%. A total of 1,052 volunteers were evaluated. Oral mucosal lesions were observed in 42.11%, variations of normal structures in 38.50%, and xerostomia in 60.64%. Women were more affected than men, particularly women aged 20-49. Xerostomia was not found to be associated to oral mucosal conditions in general (p > 0.05); however, inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (27.99%) and oral candidiasis (24.38%), the most prevalent lesions in the study, were associated with xerostomia (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively) and denture use (p = 0.025 and p < 0.001, respectively). Use of tobacco and alcohol intake were not associated with the presence of oral lesions (p = 0.319 and p = 0.739, respectively). The findings of this study are important for determining the prevalence of oral conditions and xerostomia in the general population, serving as a baseline for further investigations into the association between xerostomia, inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia, and oral candidiasis.