Title

Xerostomia as an oral-systemic indicator: Etiology, diagnostic strategies and multimodal management approaches

Authors

Anisha Parani^1,*, Anuja Nimbalkar², Harshbala Sharma³, Alona Joppan⁴, Anish Raj Godavarthy⁵, & Walid Ourdane⁶

Affiliation

¹Department of Dental Surgery, KGF College of Dental Sciences, Karnataka, India; ²Department of Dental Surgery, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, Maharashtra, India; ³Department of Dental Surgery, Saraswati Dental College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India; ⁴Department of Dental Surgery, Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India; ⁵Department of Dental Surgery, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Manipal, Karnataka, India; ⁶Department of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine, Algiers University, Algiers, Algeria; *Corresponding author

Email

Anisha Parani - E-mail: anishaparani@gmail.com

Anuja Nimbalkar - E-mail: anujadeshmukh1703@gmail.com
Harshbala Sharma - E-mail: sh.harshbala@gmail.com

Alona Joppan - E-mail: alonajoppan@gmail.com

Anish Raj Godavarthy - E-mail: anishrajgv@gmail.com
Walid Ourdane - E-mail: ourdanewalid@gmail.com

Article Type

Review

Date

Received February 1, 2026; Revised February 28, 2026; Accepted February 28, 2026, Published February 28, 2026

Abstract

Xerostomia of the oral cavity reflects multifaceted problems in salivary gland functions with implications for oral and systemic health. The various etiological elements range from disease-related glandular damage, therapeutic interventions and an extensive spectrum of medications with xerogenic potential. Complications such as caries incidence, periodontal issues and prosthetic instability emphasize timely clinical assessment and targeted management. This review synthesizes current evidence on etiology, disease and medication- induced xerostomia. It is also associated with oral health challenges, assessment strategies and preventive education. Awareness, understanding and addressing xerostomia comprehensively can mitigate morbidity, preserve oral function and enhance quality of life.

Keywords

Xerostomia, disease-induced xerostomia, medication-induced xerostomia oral health complications, management strategies

Citation

Parani et al. Bioinformation 22(2): 1118-1125 (2026)

Edited by

Neelam Goyal & Shruti Dabi

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics

License

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.