Oral disorders, saliva secretion, and oral health‐related quality of life in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Chemosensory function, burning sensations in the tongue ( BST ), halitosis, saliva secretion, and oral health‐related quality of life ( OHRQ oL) were investigated in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome ( pSS ). In 31 patients with pSS and 33 controls, olfactory and gustatory functions were evaluated. Self‐reported complaints of dysgeusia, BST , and halitosis were recorded. Saliva secretion rates were measured and OHRQ oL was assessed using the short‐form Oral Health Impact Profile ( OHIP ‐14). Patients had significantly lower olfactory (8.8 ± 3.5 vs. 10.7 ± 1.2) and gustatory (18.9 ± 7.1 vs. 25.4 ± 4.3) scores than controls, and significantly more patients complained of dysgeusia (58.1% vs. 0%), BST (54.8% vs. 6.1%), and halitosis (41.9% vs. 0%). A significantly greater proportion of patients with pSS had ageusia (19% vs. 0%), hypogeusia (32% vs. 12%), anosmia (13% vs. 0%), or hyposmia (29% vs. 9%). Significantly lower saliva secretion rates (ml min −1 ) were observed in patients with pSS for stimulated (0.62 ± 0.40 vs. 1.57 ± 0.71) and unstimulated (0.08 ± 0.07 vs. 0.29 ± 0.17) saliva. The mean OHIP ‐14 score was significantly higher in patients with pSS (16.2 ± 10.8 vs. 2.7 ± 3.1) and was positively correlated with dysgeusia, BST , and halitosis. In conclusion, patients with pSS reported higher occurrence of dysgeusia, BST , and halitosis, and demonstrated relatively impaired chemosensory and salivary functions. The patients’ poorer OHRQ oL was associated with dysgeusia, BST , and halitosis.