How dehydration can affect your oral health

Most people experience a form of dry mouth from time to time. It’s when the dry mouth feeling doesn’t go away that it can be uncomfortable and can lead to more serious health problems or be a sign that you may have a more serious medical condition.

What is dry mouth?

Dry mouth is a condition in which you don’t produce enough saliva. This may not sound too bad but, saliva does more than just keeping your mouth moist, saliva also assists with the digestion of food and can also prevent infections as it controls bacteria in the mouth. Without little or no saliva in the mouth, it makes it incredibly difficult to swallow or even chew.

What are the symptoms of dry mouth to look out for?

Paramount Dental Sydney has provided treatment of dry mouth following patients reporting some of these symptoms:

A sticky/dry feeling in the mouth or throat
Difficulty in swallowing
Chapped or cracked lips
A lack of taste
Metallic taste
Bad breath no matter how much you brush or floss
Chewing or speaking difficulties
A burning sensation on your tongue

What are the causes of dry mouth?

A lack of saliva can be caused by multiple factors, and you may need to go through a process of elimination to pinpoint what is causing it for you. Some of these may be:

Anxiety disorders – particularly when you’re nervous, upset or under any kind of stress.
Side effects of medications you may be taking
Certain medical conditions like diabetes, Hodgkin's, Parkinson's, HIV/AIDS and more (chat with your GP)
Radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancer treatment.
Menopause
Smoking

What can I do to avoid dry mouth?

There are a few things you can do to keep dry mouth at bay or stimulate saliva production, however if it doesn’t go away, you should always chat to your doctor or dentist.

Drink plenty of water regularly throughout the day
Chew sugar-free gum
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and acidic juices
Quit smoking
Use a humidifier in the home
Identify foods in your diet that can create dry mouth like spicy or salty foods
Brush your teeth after each meal using a fluoride toothpaste

What are my treatment options?

To properly treat dry mouth, you must first find the cause. Once you do, options may include:

Discussing medication replacements/alternatives with your GP
Getting a prescription for artificial saliva substitutes
Trialling dry mouth products like lubricants, specialty toothpaste, mouthwash, gums and topical gels
Dental products that contain high fluoride or calcium to help prevent tooth decay
Antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs may be used to treat infections
Surgery
Treatment specific to existing medical conditions

Feel free to contact Paramount Dental Sydney any time to assist you in identifying the cause of your dry mouth and to start the ball rolling on treatment.