Your teeth and mouth are always taken for granted and they are only given attention once they start to feel painful or uncomfortable. You must know that the mouth is important in the digestive process and that the enzyme saliva aids in the digestion of food. However, more and more people are experiencing dry mouth syndrome which can be caused by plenty of things. One can be due to excessive smoking or drinking or it could be because of dry mouth diabetes.
1. Dry Mouth and Diabetes
Dry mouth has many causes and one of which is dry mouth diabetes. The mouth is directly link with a person’s diabetes disease because of the digestion process. Diabetes control affects oral health and vice versa. When a person has dry mouth diabetes, the production of saliva is disrupted.
Some people find saliva disgusting but they don’t know how important its role is in the body. It controls bacteria in the mouth and moistens it. It helps cleanse the mouth by neutralizing acids from the acidic foods you eat. This will protect the teeth from plaque and tooth decay. The saliva also washes dead skin cells around the cheeks, gums and teeth. Saliva also helps in digesting food through making the food easier to chew and swallow.
With all the functions of saliva, it is obvious that the body will be affected when there is a lack of production of this enzyme. Dry mouth is called Xerostomia, its medical term. When a person suffers from xerostamia, the flow of saliva is disrupted which is causing severe dryness in the mouth area. Xerostomia is not a very serious condition because it is treatable. However, the concern lies behind the causes of your dry mouth.
Most of the time, dry mouth diabetes symptoms manifests when the person has Sjogren ’s syndrome. Keep in mind though that whatever the reason behind it, it must be checked properly by a doctor to prevent things from getting worse.