Dry mouth! A common problem

Dry mouth affects about 10% of most people and tends to be more prevalent in women than men. Disorders of saliva production affect elderly people and those people who are taking prescription and nonprescription medications most frequently.

• Medications: Countless medications, including many over-the-counter drugs, produce dry mouth as a side effect. One of many much more likely types to create trouble is a few of the drugs used to manage major depression, nerve pain (neuropathy) and anxiety, alongside some antihistamines, decongestants. Aging: The aging process doesn’t necessarily cause dry mouth. However, the elderly are prone to take medications that may cause dry mouth, and they’re prone to have other health conditions that can cause dry mouth.
• Cancer therapy: Chemotherapy drugs can alter the nature of saliva and the total amount produced. This can be temporary; with normal salivary flow returning after treatment has been completed. Radiation treatments to your mind and neck may harm salivary glands, causing a marked decline in saliva production. This is often temporary or permanent, with regards to the radiation dose and area treated.
• Nerve damage: A personal injury or surgery that triggers nerve harm to your mind and neck area may result in dry mouth.
• Other health conditions: Dry mouth can be a fruit of certain health conditions, including the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome or HIV/AIDS. Stroke and Alzheimer’s disease may cause a perception of dry mouth, even although the salivary glands are functioning normally. Snoring and breathing with orally open may also contribute to dry mouth.
• Tobacco use: Smoking or chewing tobacco can increase dry mouth symptoms.
• Methamphetamine use: Methamphetamine use could cause severe dry mouth and harm to teeth, a condition also known as “meth mouth.”

 Prevention

You can find numerous steps you can try help minimize dry mouth, including:

• Sipping water or sugarless drinks often and during meals
• Avoiding drinks which are alkaloid by nature, for example coffee, tea and sodas
• Professional recommendation for oral care products that will assist in moisturizing the mouth
• Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to stimulate saliva flow citrus, cinnamon or mint-flavored candies are good choices
• Avoid tobacco or alcohol, which dry up the mouth
• Minimize spicy or salty foods, which can cause pain in a dried mouth
• Avoid sugar and acidic foods
• Employing a humidifier at night

Treatment

Dry mouth treatment relies upon what’s inducing the problem. If you believe you have a dry mouth problem, see your dentist or physician to ascertain the cause.

• If your dry mouth is brought on by medicine, your physician might change your medicine or adjust the dosage.
• If your salivary glands aren’t working right but can still produce some saliva, your physician or dentist might prescribe you medicines that stimulate more saliva.
• Your physician or dentist might claim that you use artificial saliva to help keep your mouth wet.

Complications

If dry mouth happens all or all of the time, however, it could be uncomfortable – and might have serious consequences for the oral health. Drying irritates the soft tissues in the mouth, which may make sure they are inflamed and more prone to infection. Without the cleansing ramifications of saliva, tooth decay and other oral health issues become a great deal more common. It’s important that you take excellent care of one’s teeth and gums. Brush twice each day, and floss or use an interdentally cleaner once each day to get rid of dental plaque and food debris from between the teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach.