Dry mouth is a major concern of the doctors at Southern California Dental Health Associates. Decreased salivary flow or XEROSTEMIA is often called “cotton mouth” and it has been estimated that it affects as many as 1 in 4 adults. Once thought to be only in senior citizens, dentists are finding dry mouth across a wide age range. Saliva is very important for digestion, it helps prevent cavities and protects all the different tender tissues in the mouth and it helps us to taste our food.
The major cause of dry mouth is that it is the most common side effect of both prescription and over the counter medications. It is believed that up to 90% of all issues with dry mouth are because of meds, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, antihypertensive (blood pressure) and decongestants to name a few. Other causes are side effects of diseases and infections such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Lastly, the lifestyle choices of smoking, alcohol and caffeine can all contribute to dry mouth symptoms
Some signs of dry mouth include a sticky feeling in the mouth, a constant desire to drink, thick or ropy saliva and bad breath. If you have dry mouth you increase your chances of getting deep cavities around the gum line of your teeth and also you increase your chances of getting gum disease.
How do you get relief? Besides the normal home care of brushing twice a day and flossing, you can chew sugarless gum or sugarless candy (My sweetener of choice is Xylitol, it should be the first ingredient listed). Avoid overly salty food, citrus juices and real dry foods. You should avoid mouth rinses that have a lot of alcohol in them, and limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption. Of course, you should be drinking plenty of water.
Lastly, if you feel you have any of the above symptoms you should see a dentist as soon as you can. If your biofilm is acidic (see previous blogs for this info) medications that dry your mouth may be very detrimental to your teeth and can cause massive decay that can cause you to lose some teeth. Call us today at 323-934-3341 if you have any questions or would like us to take a look at your mouth.
A special offer to all those who read our blog. Through the end of September Southern California Dental Health Associates are offering a free Carifree screening to all those who ask for it. Want to learn more about this new tool to help eliminate cavities in your mouth then read our previous blog titled Frustrated with Constantly Getting Cavities.