It’s two-thirty in the morning, and you wake up to a scratchy throat and cough. You panic: “Am I sick? I can’t be sick, I have that big meeting in the morning!” You try to swallow the despair, but can’t. Your mouth is bone dry, saliva non-existent. Relax, you’re not sick—you have dry mouth. Lucky for you, there is a way to treat dry mouth and prevent it from happening again.
What is dry mouth, and what should I do about it?
True to its name, dry mouth (or Xerostomia) is caused by less production of saliva by the salivary gland, causing the mouth to become dry. There are many documented causes for dry mouth ranging from daily habits to prior medical issues and treatments, so it is important to determine what the cause is prior to any new treatment.
Dry mouth is a common side effect for drugs used to treat symptoms of pain, anxiety, depression and even allergies, but it also has been tied to more severe illnesses such as lupus, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. If you have no prior illness and you’ve recently been given a clean bill of health, our solutions may prove useful, but we highly advise consulting your doctor and dentist first, just to be sure that there isn’t a bigger health issue involved.
Don’t let dry mouth dampen your spirits with these helpful tips:
- Intake less caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol, and drink more water
You can minimize dry mouth quite easily by drinking water more frequently and cutting down on caffeinated drinks, carbonated drinks, and alcohol. Caffeine, carbonated drinks, and alcohol dry the mouth out quickly, worsening the problem. We recommend limiting your consumption of these drinks, if not cutting them out completely.
- Brush your teeth more regularly
After each and every meal, we suggest flossing and brushing your teeth. Not only does this help you maintain your pearly white teeth, but it will also minimize the buildup of plaque and other bacteria in your mouth which can contribute to dry mouth.
- Quit smoking/chewing tobacco
While smoking and chewing tobacco are well known for causing more major health problems, many people do not realize that it can also cause dry mouth. By quitting smoking/chewing tobacco, you’ll not only save years of your life, but stop a cause of dry mouth!
- Avoid dry, salty foods
This may seem obvious, but avoiding dry, salty foods can ease dry mouth.
- Attend regular dental check-ups
The best way to eliminate dry mouth is to prevent it from occurring in the first place, by attending your regular dental check-ups/cleanings and maintaining quality oral hygiene.
It is possible to ease dry mouth through adjusting your daily habits, but your dentist may suggest specialty products such as toothpastes and mouthwashes that are designed and formulated to lessen the impact of dry mouth, to assist with the process.
If you are interested in preventing dry mouth at all costs, and these methods aren’t helping with your case, see your local dentist and ask for recommendations on particular dry mouth fighting products available on the market.