Dry Mouth: Its Causes and Treatment

Having a dry mouth is something you should not take for granted for it may not just be a simple oral dryness but instead a cause of more serious health problems. If you happen to experience dryness in your mouth all the time, chances are you also have bad breath or halitosis.

The more dry the mouth is, the greater the chance that oral bacteria will thrive in your mouth, throat and tongue. There are many things that can cause dry mouth, including bad oral hygiene, smoking, side effects of drugs, salivary glands disorder and others. And in most cases, seeking the advice of an expert, dentist or physician is necessary to detemine the real cause of the problem and to provide a more accurate cure.

There is no single cause of oral dryness so it is not surpising that there are tons of methods to cure it.

The treatment always depends on what the cause is. Here are some of the common causes of dry mouth and the recommended ways to cure it: #1 Inssuficient H20 Intake One of the common causes of having a dry mouth is lack or insuffient water intake. Our salivary gland needs water to produce saliva which keeps our mouth moist. Drinking less water will not help stimulate the flow and production of saliva. To prevent dryness in your mouth, you should frequently drink water and juices most especially during exercise and other physical activities. Drinking atleast 8 glasses of a day is recommended to prevent body and oral dehydration. #2 Salivary Glands Disorder One can also suffer from dry mouth if he or she has salivary glands disorder. In such cases, drinking enough water might not be sufficient to keep your mouth wet so dentists usually prescibe drugs such as Cevimeline and Pilocarpine to help your salivary gland work better and recommend the use of substitute or artificial saliva. People with issues in their glands are also advised to chew sugarless gum to stimulate the flow of their saliva whenever they feel the drying sensation. Dentists also recommend the use of oral moisturizers which bring relief to dry mouth, while for many herbalists and nutritionists believe that eating vegies such as celery and carrots can stimulate the production of saliva. #3 Side Effects of Medicine Oral dehydration may also be a side effect of certain drugs. Health reports reveal that more than 400 drugs being sold in the market today can potentially cause our salivary glands not to function well, especially if not taken in the proper dosage. Among these medicines include decongestants, painkillers, tranquilizers and diuretics. If the dryness is caused by drugs, refrain from taking such medicines immediately or adjust the dosage to eliminate the problem. #4 Smoking Smoking is also a factor. Cigarette smokers experience dry mouth because it starves the supply of oxgen. It also increases the acidity level in the mouth which then dries the oral tissues. Smoking, not only promotes oral dryness, it also causes the formation of oral bacteria, leading to bad breath. To prevent excessive oral dehydration, all smokers are advised to chew gums during or after smoking to maintain the flow of the saliva and oxygen in the mouth.