It’s easy to overlook the importance of saliva until you experience yourself how uncomfortable dry mouth can get. Saliva helps clean our mouth and digest food we eat. It also helps fight off bacteria that threaten to invade our mouth.

Also known as xerostomia, dry mouth can happen to anyone. It should not last long, so if it persists, make sure to see your dentist. Here are some dry mouth symptoms to take note of:

• Dry, coated tongue
• Chapped lips
• Difficulty when chewing or tasting food
• Difficulty when speaking
• Becoming more prone to tooth decay
• Experiencing mouth sores more frequently
• Enduring bad breath

When you have dry mouth, your lips, teeth, and breath are all affected.

Cracked lips can cause a burning sensation and can be painful. When there is not enough saliva to help with the remineralisation of the teeth enamel, it is be easier for bacteria to turn into tooth decay.

Dry mouth causes bad breath, which can lower your confidence. Dry mouth can be treated but before that, it’s important to understand why.

Dry Mouth Causes

Dry mouth occurs when glands responsible for saliva flow are not working properly. Various factors can trigger this to happen.

• Taking medications. If you feel that the medication you’re prescribed leaves your mouth dry, talk to your doctor and ask for an alternative. If this option is not possible, make it a habit to drink more water to encourage saliva flow.
• Aging. Aging itself does not necessarily limit saliva flow in the mouth. However, since people tend to be more vulnerable to sickness as they age, this means that they are more likely to take medications as well. Taking medications can cause the mouth to run dry.
• Smoking. Cigarette or tobacco smoking can make you more prone to dry mouth.
• Medical conditions. Other medical conditions can also trigger dry mouth. Snoring, for example, can result in dry mouth.

How to Treat Dry Mouth

For dry mouth, the solution is to get to the root of the problem. If the problem is in your salivary glands, you can ask your doctor about medications that will help them function better.

Here are more tips so you can prevent dry mouth.

• Drink water more often, especially during meals.
• Stimulate saliva flow by chewing sugarless gums.
• Cut back on carbonated or coloured drinks. Stick to water as an alternative.
• Talk to your dentist for more tips how you can encourage saliva flow in your mouth.
• Stop smoking.

If dry mouth persists, your mouth becomes more prone to bacterial infection. This can cause serious oral health problems. Without saliva, tooth enamel can weaken and decay can easily develop. Make sure to take care of your teeth, tongue, and gums. Remove food debris before they harden.

If you still experience dry mouth even after following the tips listed above, call us at (587) 317-9903. Let’s look into the best solution possible to treat your dry mouth, once and for all.

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