A study reported by UConn Today on Aug. 27 showed that females have significantly lower stimulated salivary flow than males both before and after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, putting their oral health at greater risk.
“Experiencing a very dry mouth can greatly impact quality of life and elevate the risk for several oral diseases,” said Dr. Rajesh Lalla, professor and associate dean for research at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, who led the study.
The research, published in July in the National Library of Medicine, was funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to identify risk factors for oral complications following radiation therapy.
“The results of our study, combined with previous literature, demonstrate that females and males have significantly different ranges of normal salivary flow,” Lalla noted. “This difference should be considered when assessing salivary flow in both clinical practice and research. Our findings also indicate that because females typically have lower normal salivary flow, they may be at greater risk of reaching critically low levels in situations where saliva production is compromised.”
The study enrolled 572 patients across six clinical sites.
While previous studies have reported lower salivary flow in females across various populations and age groups, Lalla believes the disparity in salivary flow between sexes has not been sufficiently recognized.
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