Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, refers to the condition when one’s salivary glands do not produce enough saliva to keep the mouth and mucous membranes moist, or when the consistency of the saliva has changed. Saliva is a very important part of our oral hygiene as it helps us chew and swallow, as well as cleans, protects, and repairs our teeth.
Causes of Dry Mouth
There are many different reasons why one might suffer from dry mouth. Simple things like breathing too much through the mouth or snoring can increase the risk of dry mouth. However, there are just as many treatments available to manage it.
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– Side effects from medication
Many prescription medications cause dry mouth as a side effect. The most common types are those used to treat depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Certain pain and muscle relaxant medications, as well as some antihistamines and decongestants, can also cause dry mouth.
– Diseases and infections
Various types of diseases and infections can cause dry mouth.
– Dehydration
Dry mouth can occur simply because we forget to drink enough. In combination with high temperatures and a lot of activity, this can become a problem, especially during summer.
– Age
The older we get, the greater the risk of dry mouth. The primary reason for this is side effects from increased medication intake. Older individuals are also the group most affected by nutritional deficiencies and long-term illnesses.
– Tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and food
Beer, wine, spirits, cigarettes, and snus can cause or worsen dry mouth. Coffee, sweets, or sweet and sour foods can also have a negative impact.
Symptoms of Dry Mouth
The symptoms of dry mouth are numerous and vary from person to person. It might sound obvious how it’s detected, but depending on how quickly or slowly dry mouth develops, it can be difficult to detect on your own. Symptoms can include:
– An uncomfortable and dry feeling in the mouth
– Constant thirst
– Sore throat, dry nose, hoarseness
– Difficulty speaking or trouble tasting, chewing, and swallowing
– Bad breath
– Dry tongue
– Thick or stringy saliva
– Cracks and sores at the corners of the mouth, on the lips, or inside the mouth
– Problems with dental hygiene in the form of plaque or cavities
– Difficulty using dentures
Problems resulting from dry mouth
– Cavities
– Infections in teeth and the oral cavity
– Gum diseases
If you suffer from dry mouth, we recommend that you contact us at TandCity. Untreated dry mouth can lead to many different problems and discomforts. Our saliva plays an incredibly large and important role in maintaining good oral hygiene, and a dry mouth with impaired saliva production runs a greater risk of developing, for example, cavities, gingivitis, or infections.
Treatments
There are a number of different treatments for dry mouth. Self-treatments as well as recommendations and treatments from your dentist.
Self-treatment
There are many different and very simple techniques you can use to counteract dry mouth. Ask the knowledgeable staff at the pharmacy for tips on which products might suit you.
– Drink water or sugar-free beverages, or suck on ice to keep your mouth moist throughout the day.
– Chew sugar-free gum or sugar-free candy.
– Use saliva substitutes containing xylitol. Available at pharmacies.
– Breathe through your nose and seek treatment for snoring
– Buy a humidifier
– Keep your lips moist with lip balm or similar.
Do you suffer from dry mouth or other dental and oral problems? TandCity offers high-quality and modern dental care for both existing and new patients.
