What is dry mouth?
Does your mouth often feel uncomfortably dry? If you answered yes, then you may be experiencing dry mouth.
Dry mouth is also known as ‘xerostomia’ and it is a condition that happens when the glands in your mouth that produce saliva, don’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist.
A dry mouth can be uncomfortable but if ignored it can cause or contribute to the occurrence of tooth decay, bad breath, gum disease and ulcers.
What are the symptoms?
The feeling of dry mouth can vary from person to person but some common symptoms include:
Dryness in the mouth
Tongue clinging to the roof of the mouth
Chapped lips
Bad breath
Waking up at night and feeling thirsty even if you’ve had water just before going to sleep
Problems speaking due to lack of saliva
Difficulties tasting and chewing food
Problems wearing dentures
What causes dry mouth?
Many medications such as antihistamines, antidepressants, diuretics.
Diabetes
Cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Asthma
Sjogren’s Syndrome
Kidney dialysis
Relief from dry mouth
Your saliva flow is naturally at its lowest at night time.
Sipping water may help but water doesn’t contain moisturisers so the relief is only temporary.
Products such as mouthwash, gel, mouth spray or toothpaste from the ‘Oral 7’ or ‘Biotene’ ranges may help to provide effective moisturising relief.
Speak to either your Dentist or Oral Health Therapist at Newtown Elite dental and they will help recommend the right product for you to give you relief from your dry mouth treatment.