Dry Mouth: Facts and Tips

Saliva is important as it not only helps keeps your mouth moist, it also helps you swallow by helping with the breakdown of food. Additionally, it acts as a natural cleanser, neutralizing plaque acids, and constantly washing around your mouth and teeth and fighting tooth decay. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia is a condition that affects the flow of saliva causing your mouth to feel dry. Let look at some facts about Dry mouth and how we can solve this oral health issue.

Let look at some facts about Dry mouth and how we can solve this oral health issue.

Facts:

1. Having less saliva affects the taste of food and makes it harder to eat dry foods. And can also affect your speech and cause bad breath.
2. Your mouth produces less saliva at night causing the dry mouth to worsen at night.
3. Dry mouth can cause the mouth to become sore and there is a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
4. In some cases, dry mouth can be a direct result of a medical condition such as diabetes, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, and blocked salivary glands.
5. Currently, there is no way of actually preventing the problem of dry mouth, however, there are products that you can use to ease  the symptoms

Tips:

1. Regular visits to the dentist are a must if you are suffering from dry mouth. Having dry mouth puts you at a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease, so it is important to inform your dental team and take advice on how often you should visit.
2. Use a fluoride toothpaste that contains at least 1350 to 1500ppm (parts per million) of fluoride.
3. It’s important to ensure you follow daily oral hygiene and regularly use oral health products like toothpaste, mouth rinses, gels, and lozenges that are suggested by your dental team
4. Chewing sugar-free gum can help ease dry mouth as it encourages your mouth to make saliva.
5. Be careful about what you eat, it’s advisable to use sugar-free products, as dry mouth can make you more susceptible to tooth decay. Additionally, stay away from products that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), as this can irritate the mouth and make the condition worse.

Want to consult a doctor about your dry mouth issues? We can help connect you to the best dentist around your area, call us 8888851434, or visit our website at to book an appointment