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What is a dry mouth? Your friendly Local Dentist is here to help!

What is dry mouth and how do you get it? How do you treat it?

Dry mouth, (or Xerostomia as it is also known) can be caused by many things. Dry mouth is a condition which occurs when the amount of saliva in your mouth is reduced. Your saliva has proteins and enzymes in it and is essential for lubricating your mouth, also keeping it healthy. It helps flush away bacteria, reduces bad breath and prevents infections. When your mouth is not moist enough bacteria and food can stick to your teeth causing a buildup of plaque. This increases your changes of cavities, bad breath, gum disease and other oral problems.

Conditions such as cancer, depression and diabetes are affiliated with dry mouth. Medications however are the number one cause of it, including prescription and non-prescription. Most patients do not even realize they suffer from dry mouth until their saliva is reduced by 50%.

Some of the symptoms of dry mouth are:

  • Bad breath
  • Saliva that is thick and stringy
  • Mouth ulcers
  • A higher rate of tooth decay or increase plaque
  • problems with eating dry foods

What happens is the body doesn’t produce enough saliva from one of the many salivary glads within the mouth. All of these glads produce saliva that helps us swallow and chewing or just keeping the mouth moist.

girl eating apple

There are many ways to increase saliva production that you may like to try at home –

      • Take sips of liquid while eating your foods
      • Increase the moisture in your foods, add broth, soup, gravy, cream, yogurt etc.
      • Drink plenty of water in between meals
      • Chewing food thoroughly
      • Avoid highly acidic foods (if you can’t rinse mouth with water after eating)
      • Chewing sugar free gum
      • Rinsing mouth with mouth wash that is designed to help produce saliva.
      • Dunk dry or crispy food into liquids to make them softer

Some other natural ideas are taking slippery elm or ginger teas – even fennel seeds can help.

So, stop ignoring your dry mouth!  Come see one of your friendly Redcliffe Dentists at John Street Dental, to get the best advice on how to treat dry mouth.

Call us today on  07  3284 4281 or book online.