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How to Combat Dry Mouth
Cherrywood Dental • May 21, 2020
Suffering from dry mouth can quickly wreak havoc on your oral health. A dry mouth is typically an indication of ill-working salivary glands. When your body cannot produce enough saliva, tooth decay and gum disease often follow. Fortunately, there are many successful home remedies for dry mouth. Most are relatively straightforward, and they often come from the most commonplace of items.
The best way to beat dry mouth is to take excellent care of your teeth and gums, and by incorporating these five home remedies.
First, Attempt To Determine What's Causing Your Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is a common side effect of the glands in the mouth not working correctly and making saliva. There are several reasons why these glands (called salivary glands) may not be working right, and determining the cause of your dry mouth is a critical piece in combating the side effect. If you believe you are suffering from dry mouth, schedule an appointment with your dentist or physician so he or she can help you determine the cause.
Remedy #1: Chew Gum
As previously mentioned, the best way to treat dry mouth is to determine the source. A dry mouth usually indicates limited-to-no saliva flow. Sometimes, the easiest way to solve dry mouth is to bring back your natural saliva flow. Chewing sugar-free gum will help to revitalize a dry mouth by promoting your natural saliva production. Additionally, chewing gum that contains Xylitol is accompanied by additional benefits
such as being less likely to develop tooth decay.
Remedy #2: Focus On Better Oral Hygiene Habits
A lack of saliva flow can be attributed to how great your oral health routine is. The less you take care of your teeth and gums, the more you expose your mouth to the many diseases that can affect your body's natural saliva production. Taking excellent care of your teeth and gums may sound like standard dental advice, but it also helps to prevent dry mouth in more ways than one.
Remedy #3: Drink More Water
A dry mouth can be a common sign of dehydration. A simple solution is to drink more water and be mindful of your water intake throughout the day. Keeping your body hydrated has many positive effects on your oral health
and your body's overall health too.
Remedy #4: Quit Bad Habits
Bad habits, including alcohol consumption, cause troubles in your salivary glands. While you may not feel the effects right away, these bad habits do tend to dehydrate the body, including your mouth. When looking to solve what is causing your dry mouth, review how frequently you partake in these bad habits:
- Caffeine - Caffeinated beverages can be dehydrating. Many studies have found that drinking caffeinated coffee or tea causes dry mouth.
- Alcohol - Alcohol can quickly dehydrate your body, which can contribute to dry mouth. Try drinking water instead of alcohol as alcohol use can make already present symptoms of dry mouth worse.
- Smoking - Smoking tobacco products can also dehydrate your body. Cutting down or quitting can ultimately reduce dry mouth symptoms.
- Sugar - Much like caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, sugar can also dehydrate your body.
Remedy #5: Sleep With a Humidifier
Creating humidity may help dry mouth by adding more moisture to your environment. One study suggests
that sleeping with a humidifier can moderately improve dry mouth symptoms. Running a humidifier at night while you sleep may reduce discomfort and enhance your quality of sleep.
When To See Your Dentist
Having a dry mouth can be a severe issue and one that you should not ignore. If you believe your dry mouth symptoms are a result of certain medications, or other health-related problems, speak with your doctor. In these situations, determining the cause of your dry mouth and treating the underlying condition will be more effective than any home remedy efforts.
If you are suffering from dry mouth, contact Cherrywood Dental Associates
today to schedule a consultation appointment.