How to help your Dry Mouth

Have you ever woken up in the morning with a really dry mouth, had a sip of water, and still felt that your mouth was parched like a desert? Or that no matter how much water you drink, you’re still needing more? If that’s the case for you, don’t worry, you’re not alone. These signs could be an indication of xerostomia, or more commonly known as a “dry mouth,” and is very commonly overlooked by many people. While it may seem to be a minor inconvenience, having a dry mouth could be an indication of underlying health conditions, and can negatively affect your oral health, digestion and quality of life. But what causes it, and what can you do to help?  

To start with, xerostomia occurs when your salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth hydrated and moist. Saliva is an incredibly important component in keeping your mouth healthy, it helps to wash away excess food, neutralize acidic foods and acids, and prevents infection. When we start to have less saliva and eventually, a dry mouth, it could lead to higher chances of decay, changes in taste, and bad breath to name a few concerns. Common causes of a dry mouth can be the result of many factors, namely: 

Dehydration 

You can look for signs of it when waking up in the morning and noticing that your saliva is consistently thick or lacking. Many people may have excess sweating during the summer or become sick during winter, which may lead to potential xerostomia. 

Mouth breathing 

Many people naturally breath through their nose, but when your nose is congested, long term mouth breathing can occur. If you haven’t spoken to your doctor about it, please have a chat with them whenever you can, as it could be linked to bad breath and difficulties sleeping at night. Mouth breathing is important to prevent in young children especially as it can affect facial development and dental alignment, along with higher chances of dental decay. 

Polypharmacy 

Taking multiple medications at once or, taking medications with side effects of a dry mouth. These drugs include antihistamines, Ventolin puffers, medications for an overactive bladder, antidepressants and blood pressure medications to name a few. 

 Underlying medical conditions and medications 

• Diabetes, when poorly controlled, can lead to frequent feelings of dehydration and reduced saliva production. People diagnosed with high blood glucose (sugar) can also have altered saliva composition, which can increase the risk of oral infections. These symptoms can be presented as difficulties speaking and swallowing, burning sensations, increased plaque and potential higher risks of periodontal disease.  

• Sjogren’s syndrome is a condition that targets the salivary and tear glands in our bodies, leading to severe affects of a dry mouth and eyes. 

• Asthma is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of our airways, leading to difficulties breathing. While asthma itself does not directly lead to symptoms of a dry mouth, many people can experience it due to the medications they take.  

• Antihistamines may also cause symptoms of xerostomia due to reduced mucus and fluid secretions, which can affect the salivary glands.  

Cancer treatment 

Individuals who undergo radiation treatment in their neck and head can have damage or destruction of salivary tissue, which could lead to permanent reductions in saliva. Cancer around the neck and head is usually the result of frequent and long-term use of tobacco and alcohol but can also arise from damaged skin from sun exposure, HPV infections, family genetics and weakened immune systems.  

Lifestyle habits 

Smoking, drinking, vaping and excessive caffeine consumption can lead to prolonged periods of a dry mouth, but can be quickly resolved by cutting down on those lifestyle habits.  

Why does it matter? 

Now that we’ve spoken about quite a few factors that can cause xerostomia, what are the affects of it, and why does it really matter? When it comes to dental issues, dry mouths can lead to increased risks of tooth decay, periodontal disease, oral infections and also bad breath. As we mentioned earlier, saliva is critical in washing away excess food stuck on our teeth that bacteria feed on, neutralizes acids after we eat, and additionally contains minerals (all the good things like calcium and phosphate) that helps to remineralise our enamel, the outermost layer of our teeth.  

When we start having less saliva in our mouths, acid remains on our teeth for longer, leading to potential acid eroded teeth that are thinner and easier for harmful bacteria to penetrate; these same bacteria remain and thrive, which leads to an overgrowth of plaque too, that can lead to gum disease and oral thrush (which can make your breath smell). Lack of moisture can also lead to discomfort and difficulties swallowing, especially for our seniors with dentures.  

Having xerostomia can also lead to your overall health being affected. It becomes more difficult to chew and swallow, meaning foods like crackers, carrots and meat can be hard to manage. It may even change how food tastes, and irritate your mouths when having especially spicy, salty, sour or dry foods. As a result, it can lead to people having an increased risk of malnutrition as they start to avoid certain foods, eat less or avoid meals in general. Unintentionally, this may lead to weight loss of nutritional deficiencies, which can exacerbate other known or underlying health problems.  

How to fix it  

Now that we’ve spoken on how and why having a dry mouth can impact your health, we’ll give you a few tips and products to try at home: 

• Hydration 

• • As many people would assume, the first step in trying to help your try mouth would be to drink more water. Having more frequent sips of water throughout the day (even when you’re not thirsty), and drinking small amounts before and after eating helps with chewing and swallowing. Have a water bottle with you, invest in one if that helps, and have a sip when you’re hungry or craving something, you might just be thirsty.  

• Stimulating your saliva naturally 

• • The next easiest recommendation after drinking lots of water would be chewing sugar free gum with xylitol, sucking on sugar free lozenges and eating lots of crunchy foods. This helps to activate your salivary glands and produce more saliva. 

• Stimulating your saliva with substitutes  

• • If you like using mouthwash, look for alcohol free substitutes that contains xylitol. That way, the alcohol doesn’t dry your mouth and the xylitol increases saliva production. If you can find one with fluoride, it will also have the added benefit of reducing dental decay. 

• • Brands like Biotene and Oral7 are specifically catered to help with symptoms of xerostomia, with options of sprays, gels, mouthwashes, and toothpastes containing fluoride. Try out a few of their products and see what helps for you!  

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco 

• • These substances can lead to less fluid promotion and dry your mouth. Tabacco can even damage tissues, which increases your risk of gum disease, oral infections and even cancer.  

 It’s important to remember that while trying to help your dry mouth, maintaining good oral hygiene and seeing a dental professional regularly can help. By flossing your teeth and brushing twice a day with fluoridate toothpaste, it will help reduce bacteria build up and keep your mouth fresh. When seeing your dental professional, let us know if these are symptoms that you commonly face, and we will do our best to help you through it.  

 Our team at True Smiles Dental are committed to providing the best care we possibly can, we advocate and are committed to providing you with the tools and support necessary to maintain a healthy and bright smile. If you would like to know more about your dry mouth, have any questions, or concerns you would like to address, book your appointment with us today: 

 📞 Call us on (02) 7228 7272 

🌐 Online at https://truesmilesdental.com.au/appointments 

📧 Email us on info@truesmilesdental.com.au 

 Thank you for your time, we hope you learnt something with today’s blog, and we’ll see you in the next one!