Solutions to Treat Dry Mouth
Having dry mouth is something that you will constantly be aware of, especially if you also constantly have a dry throat and dry lips. You may also have tried several things to get rid of the problem, but have not found anything that works yet. There are several dry mouth remedies and tips that will help you get rid of dry mouth.
Recognize the Problem
Before you can successfully treat dry mouth, you have to understand the problem. It could be simple, such as not staying hydrated enough, or it could be more complex, requiring a medical diagnosis.
Understand the Risk
Having dry mouth is more than just an inconvenience. It will also promote teeth problems, gum disease, and it is also a possible health risk. Without enough saliva, the bacteria in your mouth will damage your teeth. They may also cause gum disease. Once gum disease is started, the same bacteria that caused it is apt to cause many other health problems, including heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and more.
Control Dehydration
Dehydration could be a cause of your dry mouth, particularly in the summertime. You could try drinking more water as a starting place. Keeping a bottle of water near you all day and sipping on it from time to time can help prevent a dry mouth. However, if you also drink diuretics, which help your body eliminate water, hydrating with the wrong substances may limit how much help they provide.
Diuretics include coffee, tea, sugary drinks, and products with caffeine in them. The fact that there may be a lot of sugar in them will also help to dry your mouth. These products will only help to dry your mouth out more. Alcohol will also do the same thing – even if it is only in your mouth wash.
Stop Smoking
Using tobacco of any kind is one of the reasons for dry mouth. Eliminating tobacco from your life will not only help you with dry mouth, it will also increase your health and reduce your risk of many potentially serious diseases.
Increase Your Saliva
When you do not have enough saliva, the bad bacteria in your mouth can cause more damage to your teeth. Sugary foods and drinks cause the bacteria to produce an acid that erodes the enamel on your teeth. Saliva naturally helps keep the bacteria under control and helps to wash away the sugar and acids from your teeth – but only when there is enough.
A dry mouth leads to developing faster cavities and gum disease, which is caused by the same bacteria. The minerals that are contained in saliva will also help to strengthen your teeth.
Chewing on sugarless gum, especially if it has xylitol in it, can be highly beneficial to reduce your constant dry mouth symptoms. The bad bacteria will not produce acid from xylitol, and it will not hurt your teeth either. The gum will help your mouth to produce more saliva, as well.
Check Your Medications
There are many medications that will dry your mouth out as a side effect. If you believe that your dry mouth symptoms started after a new prescription, talk to your doctor about changing it and indicate that the medicine is drying your mouth.
A few diseases can also cause dry mouth. Among others, they include diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, Sjogren’s disease, AIDS, and more. An injury to your head and neck may also reduce your ability to produce saliva. If you have one of these diseases or conditions, talk to your doctor about how to help reduce dry mouth.
Keep Up with Oral Hygiene
Because of the increased bacteria in your mouth, it is important that you maintain good oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time is very important to remove plaque. Flossing is also important because it will remove the food particles and sugars that accumulate between your teeth during the day. This is where the bacteria love to hide and produce their acid if not removed regularly.
Add a Humidifier
If the air in your home is dry, you will likely wake up each morning with a dry mouth, lips, and throat. By adding a humidifier, you add moisture into the air, which can help your dry mouth syndrome while you sleep.
Keep Regular Dental Appointments
Visiting a dentist twice a year, or more, will enable any dental problems to be detected that may arise due to dry mouth. A dentist can also detect problems early before they become more serious and very expensive. Some dry mouth treatment methods may also be available to help protect your teeth. Call today to schedule your free consultation visit with our ABP licensed ToothHQ dental specialists.
