Oral health-related quality of life in Sjögren disease and non-Sjögren sicca: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Sjögren disease (SjD) and non-Sjögren sicca (nSS) individuals exhibit symptoms of oral dryness. However, studies investigating factors influencing oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in these groups remain scarce. PURPOSE: To evaluate OHRQoL in SjD and nSS patients and identify factors influencing its perception. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire was administered. Bivariate analyses were performed to examine associations between independent variables and OHRQoL. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 116 individuals were evaluated, including 79 with SjD and 37 with nSS. Hyposalivation was more frequent in SjD (55.7%) than in nSS (27.0%). The median overall OHIP-14 score was higher in nSS (30.0) than in SjD (22.0) (p = 0.027), indicating poorer OHRQoL among nSS individuals. In SjD, hyposalivation significantly worsened OHIP-14 across five domains, whereas this association was absent in nSS. A negative correlation between unstimulated salivary flow rate and clinical oral dryness score, and a positive correlation between decayed, missing, and filled teeth index and OHIP-14, were observed only in nSS. CONCLUSION: OHRQoL impairment was greater in nSS, but salivary dysfunction exerted stronger effects in SjD, underscoring distinct determinants in sicca conditions.