The effect of increasing water intake on the amount of saliva with and without stimulation in different age groups

Considering the impact of total body water on the amount of saliva production, it seems that an increase in water intake can be used as a potential treatment in patients with saliva production disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of increased water consumption on the level of saliva production.

In the current study, 60 patients (50 aged 20-25 and 10 aged 50-55 years) were selected. This selection helped authors to evaluate changes in the passages of years. Participants were asked for drinking a substantial amount of fluids in a limited time (2 hours). Sterile gasses were used for measuring saliva production. Gasses were weighed before and after placement in the mouth to obtain saliva production weight and volume. After a basement measure of saliva production, participants were asked to drink a total of 1.6 liters of water gradually every 15 minutes using a glass with 200 cc capacity. After 90 seconds, the saliva amount was evaluated again in the same way once without stimulation and then with saliva production stimulation using vinegar and chewing. The same process was repeated after 2 hours. The amounts of saliva in the two groups before and after drinking water were measured in stimulated and unstimulated situations. Paired t-test was run to compare saliva and ANOVA was used to compare age groups. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 22.

Based on the results of the current study, there was a significant difference between the amount of saliva production before and after drinking water in both stimulated and unstimulated situations (P=0/01). It was revealed that the younger group showed greater changes in saliva production after drinking water in comparison to the older group.

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that increasing fluid intake can improve the symptoms of dry mouth via saliva production improvement and potentially prevent the recurrence of salivary gland stones.