Ways to Care for Your Dry Mouth
Dry mouth – medically known as xerostomia – is more than just uncomfortable; left untreated, chronic dry mouth can affect your oral health. Luckily, there are a number of at-home remedies that can help alleviate the symptoms of dry mouth.
Common symptoms of dry mouth
Does your mouth feel like the Sahara Desert on a sunny day? If so, you may be suffering from dry mouth. Other common symptoms of dry mouth include:
- Persistent foul taste
- Bad breath that is difficult to get rid of
- Feeling of cotton mouth that can make eating, swallowing, and even talking difficult
- Cracking around the corners of the lips
- Burning feeling in the mouth or tongue
Causes of dry mouth
Dry mouth is caused by a lack of saliva in the mouth. There are a number of root or underlying causes that can cause xerostomia to occur, such as the following:
- Medical side effects. Dry mouth can be a side effect for a number of common medications; if this occurs, doctors may be able to change your dosage, medication, or offer additional suggestions for ways to alleviate symptoms. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of diseases such as diabetes, anemia, AIDS, leukemia, and Sjogren's disease. Cancer patients undergoing radiation may also have their salivary glands affected over the course of treatment.
- Vitamin deficiencies. While vitamin deficiencies do not affect the salivary glands, it can affect the mouth’s lining, causing dryness.
- Dehydration. Not drinking enough water, or drinking too many caffeinated beverages, can cause dry mouth. When exercising – or drinking a lot of coffee – make sure to drink plenty of water.
Caring for dry mouth
While dry mouth is uncomfortable, it can also have a significant impact on your oral health. Without enough saliva to wash away bad bacteria throughout the day, dry mouth sufferers are at risk for tooth decay and periodontal disease. The following home remedies can help care for and alleviate the symptoms of dry mouth.
- Suck on mints. Sucking on sugar-free mints can help stimulate the production of saliva.4ever Mints orange cream soda flavored mints for dry mouth are slow dissolving and contain the supplement Spilanthes Acmella to help naturally stimulate saliva production.
- Cut down on caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic and can make your mouth drier; limiting caffeine intake and drinking plenty of water can alleviate dry mouth symptoms.
- Change mouthwash. Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Instead, opt for those designed for dry mouth suffers, especially those containing xylitol.
Don’t let dry mouth affect your oral health--instead, take proactive steps to alleviate dry mouth symptoms by trying out our mints!