An adequate saliva flow is essential for good oral health and is produced by the salivary glands in your mouth. When you don’t produce enough saliva, it can cause considerable discomfort and may negatively impact oral health in Oshawa. The condition is called dry mouth or xerostomia.

Saliva helps to keep your mouth clean and fresh, washing away some harmful bacteria and loose food particles. However, when you don’t have enough saliva, it increases your risk of tooth decay and gum disease in Ajax.

What Is Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth is the feeling you experience when you cannot produce enough saliva and is a symptom rather than a condition. It is frequently a side-effect of taking certain medications.

Those medications include antidepressants, antihistamines, medication for high blood pressure, decongestants, and drugs used to treat numerous other conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, urinary incontinence and an overactive bladder, as well as chemotherapy drugs. It can also be caused by medications prescribed for Parkinson’s disease. In addition, people receiving radiation therapy, especially head and neck cancers, are more likely to suffer from dry mouth.

Other times, dry mouth may be temporary and due to something as simple as dehydration. For example, if you breathe through your mouth during sleep, it’s quite common to wake up with dry mouth. Sometimes dry mouth can be a sign of a more serious condition like Sjogren’s syndrome or diabetes.

What Are the Symptoms of Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth can cause unpleasant symptoms, including bad breath and a persistent sore throat. Eating becomes more difficult without saliva to lubricate food. Your lips, mouth and tongue may feel sore and painful, and if you wear dentures in Whitby, these may become more uncomfortable.

What to Do If You Think You Have Dry Mouth

If you think you have dry mouth, then we can help you. First, our dental team at Margolian Dentistry can carefully assess your oral health. Then, we can devise a suitable preventive dental care plan to reduce the impact of dry mouth on your dental health. For example, we may suggest having more frequent checkups. It may also be useful to have more frequent hygiene appointments. Regularly seeing our hygienist ensures any calculus or tartar buildup is removed from your teeth more frequently, reducing the risk of oral disease. We can also prescribe artificial saliva or recommend an over-the-counter product. There are also toothpaste and mouthwashes that can help relieve the symptoms of dry mouth.

If prescription medications are causing dry mouth as a side-effect, it could be useful to see your GP. They may be able to adjust your medication to help relieve this symptom. However, even if you suspect a medication is causing dry mouth, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider first, as you should never stop taking prescription medication without advice.

There are some other things you can do to treat dry mouth at home. These include making sure you drink plenty of water and avoiding and antihistamines and decongestants if possible. Before taking any tablets, sip water, so your mouth is already moist. If you can, take medications in the morning rather than at night, as dry mouth during the night is more likely to cause dental problems. Some people find it useful to suck on ice cubes or sugar-free candy or chew sugar-free gum. If you like to chew gum, look for a brand containing xylitol as this helps fight harmful bacteria. Another thing to try is using a humidifier, especially in your bedroom. Finally, make sure you maintain a good oral care routine to keep your mouth as clean and fresh as possible.