Taro Mukaibo, Yusuke Kondo, Takashi Munemasa, Tomotaka Nodai, Mizuki Takahashi, Tetsuya Muranaka, Ryuji Hosokawa, Chihiro Masaki
Although dental implants generally achieve high survival rates in patients with xerostomia and/or hyposalivation, they may be impaired by certain conditions such as radiation dose at the implant site. These findings are predominantly based on short- to medium-term observations, and comprehensive biological or functional success remains insufficiently examined. Significant knowledge gaps persist, and well-designed clinical studies are required to establish evidence-based treatment strategies.
PURPOSE: This scoping review aimed to map the association between xerostomia and/or hyposalivation and dental prosthetic treatment outcomes and identify knowledge gaps.
STUDY SELECTION: Two reviewers independently searched the PubMed and Scopus databases in accordance with the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Studies involving patients (≥18 years) with xerostomia and/or hyposalivation who underwent prosthetic treatment were included. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and case series with 10 or more cases were eligible. Results were synthesized narratively.
RESULTS: Thirty-three studies were included. For implant-supported prostheses, implant survival rates in patients with xerostomia and/or hyposalivation were generally high. In patients with radiation-induced hyposalivation, greater xerostomia severity and higher radiation doses at the implant site were associated with implant failure in individual observational studies. For removable dentures, xerostomia and/or hyposalivation were consistently associated with lower patient and masticatory satisfaction, and impaired function. However, denture adhesives improved retention in patients with hyposalivation. For fixed restorations, limited evidence from a single retrospective cohort study has suggested an increased risk of restoration failure. Subjective xerostomia perception was more strongly associated with oral health-related quality of life than the objective salivary flow rate.
CONCLUSIONS: Although dental implants generally achieve high survival rates in patients with xerostomia and/or hyposalivation, they may be impaired by certain conditions such as radiation dose at the implant site. These findings are predominantly based on short- to medium-term observations, and comprehensive biological or functional success remains insufficiently examined. Significant knowledge gaps persist, and well-designed clinical studies are required to establish evidence-based treatment strategies.