What To Do For Dry Mouth

Mar 24th, 2016
Easton Dentists Mar 1st, 2017

If you ask any dental clinic Columbus Ohio doctor about dry mouth, the answer always comes down to saliva production. Complaints of a dry mouth are not uncommon among patients that come to Easton Dentists, or any dentist for that matter. We hear this concern quite a bit and would like to address the issue so that you can get on with your life without having to worry about the effects of dry mouth.

dental clinic columbus ohioFirst of all, how do you know if you have a dry mouth? If you do have dry mouth, you probably don’t need this question answered. However, some common symptoms include a dry, sticky feeling in the mouth, frequent thirst or feeling the need to constantly wet your mouth, sores in the mouth, cracked lips and sides of the mouth, and bad breathe.

Unfortunately, dry mouth leads to more than an uncomfortable feeling or bad breathe. People who have dry mouth and do not take measures to correct the issue are more likely to experience dental problems such as gingivitis, tooth decay, and even oral infections.

Saliva plays an important role in both your oral and overall health, so not having enough of it can be problematic. A few ways that saliva keeps our bodies and teeth healthy include:

-Helping to moisten and cleanse our mouths after eating and in between meals

-Promoting digestion (there are enzymes found in saliva that break down food before it moves to the stomach)

-Preventing infection by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth

When patients do not have enough saliva production, there are many factors that might be causing the issue. Some factors you can control, such as the lifestyle choices listed below. Other factors such as disease and infection require you to work with your doctor to address the root cause and make adjustments where necessary.

Dental Clinic Columbus Ohio & Lifestyle Factors

-Consuming too much alcohol or caffeine

-Smoking

-Chewing tobacco

-Breathing through your mouth

Certain medications are also known to cause dry mouth. Medications used to treat depression, anxiety, allergies, and common colds are among the worst offenders. If you suspect that a medication might be contributing to your dry mouth, talk to your doctor about alternatives.

If you have a dry mouth and it is not caused by disease or medication, what can you do? We give our patients the following list of suggestions when talking about treatment for dry mouth. Try implementing some of these habits and see if your dry mouth doesn’t improve.

What You Can Do

-Use a fluoride toothpaste

-Rinse with fluoride instead of an alcohol based products

-Make a habit of breathing through your nose

-Chew on sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free mints

-Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially between meals

-Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco

If you implement these changes, your issues with dry mouth should resolve fairly quickly. If you continue to struggle with dry mouth and have already talked to your doctor concerning your overall health, schedule an appointment with a dental clinic Columbus Ohio provider such as Easton Dentist. Our staff will be happy to examine your mouth and provide additional advice on how you can cope with dry mouth.

Contact us todayto schedule an appointment!

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