This study estimated the total salivary flow per day of elderly subjects by examining the flow rate of the whole saliva and measuring the length of time spent eating and being awake each day. Five males and 3 females were asked to record the time spent awake, eating meals or snacks, and sleeping over a 2-day period. At the beginning of the main study, the unstimulated whole saliva was collected. The salivary flow rates elicited by chewing foods were also measured. The volume of saliva secreted during that time was determined by subtracting the initial weight of the food from that of the food-saliva mixture. The results for the 2-day period were then averaged for each subject. The mean flow rate (±SD) of the unstimulated saliva was 0.34±0.10ml/min, and that of the saliva secreted while chewing foods was 1.40±0.40ml/min. As the flow rate was virtually zero during sleep, the estimated total salivary volume produced per day was estimated to be approximately 469.6±176.7ml/day in elderly adults. These results suggest that elderly people have a lower total volume of saliva than younger adults. The result of this study indicated that xerostomia increasing with age is likely to be associated with the changes in the ingredients or quality of saliva as well as the decreased volume.
Ⅰ. 서 론
Ⅱ. 연구방법
Ⅲ. 연구결과 및 고찰
Ⅳ. 결 론