Xerostomia in Patients With Oral Lichen Planus: A Review

Background and Objectives Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease, which mostly affect the oral mucosa. This study aims to review the studies related to the presence of xerostomia (dry mouth) in patients with OLP and its possible mechanisms. Subjects and Methods In this review study, a search was conducted in Medline, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science databases on related studies published from 1965 to 2021 using the keywords oral lichen planus, xerostomia, hyposalivation, salivary gland hypofunction, and oral dryness. Clinical studies on the association between OLP and xerostomia, and those with well-defined design and methodology were included in the review. Results About 8 articles were finally selected based on the entry criteria. These articles were about the histopathological examination of salivary glands, evaluation of salivary compositions, saliva flow rate assessment, and feeling of dry mouth using a questionnaire. Conclusion The relationship between OLP and xerostomia has been shown in many studies. Various mechanisms have been proposed in this regard. The mentioned mechanisms are the inflammatory and autoimmune disorders of the sensory nervous system, changes in saliva composition, and changes in the saliva flow rate.