You might have experienced when you are about ready to speak, eat, or swallow that your mouth becomes parched. Your words or food get caught in your throat. What you are experiencing is called xerostomia, or commonly called dry mouth.
The result of a decreased amount of saliva from your salivary glands, dry mouth is usually a temporary condition. But xerostomia can become a chronic condition for some people. That can lead to oral health issues. If you do have constant dry mouth, try to learn the causes, the symptoms, and oral health consequences of low saliva.
Causes and Signs of Dry Mouth
If you experience dry mouth constantly, its cause can be one or multiple factors resulting in xerostomia. In some situations, your dry mouth should go away once you stop certain behaviors, medications, activities, or treatments. Or you can certainly suffer from chronic dry mouth if there is damage to your salivary glands.
Dry mouth is a symptom of other health issues. If you have a consistent dry mouth for a week, see your dentist or doctor to evaluate the source.
Causes of dry mouth include:
- Dehydration.
- Stress or anxiety.
- Numerous medications.
- Chemotherapy and radiation cancer treatments.
- Autoimmune diseases, like Sjögren's syndrome.
- Diabetes.
- Neurological issues, like strokes, Alzheimer's disease, or nerve damage to the head or neck.
- Open-mouthed snoring and breathing.
- Tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs.
Effects of Low Saliva on Your Oral Health
Saliva is taken for granted. Saliva contributes to:
- Starts your digestion process.
- Helps remove bacteria and food particles from your teeth.
- Neutralizes the harmful acids bacteria and food produce.
- Demineralizes weak tooth enamel.
Some oral health issues that can arise from low saliva:
- With decreased saliva, plaque and bacteria will build up on your teeth, making you more susceptible to tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
- Any dental restorations are also at risk with reduced saliva. Plaque and bacteria buildup will lead to peri-implantitis, infecting the gums around your dental implant crowns.
- Insufficient saliva will weaken your tooth enamel, make dentures difficult to wear and interfere with your ability to both taste and digest food.
- Dry mouth can lead to mouth sores and oral candidiasis, a yeast infection known as oral thrush.
- With dry mouth, you are also prone to an uncomfortable condition called burning mouth syndrome.
- Because dry mouth causes chewing, swallowing, and taste problems, you may not eat enough to get the necessary nutrients. This can lead to even more oral and overall health conditions.
Preventing Dental Problems If You Have Dry Mouth
To prevent oral complications of dry mouth, treat the condition in the ways that works for you. But since your saliva is not doing its normal function, you must maintain a diligent oral hygiene routine to keep oral bacteria away. Be sure to:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss once a day.
- Rinse with antimicrobial mouthwash.
- See your dentist regularly to remove plaque and check on your overall oral health.
Based on the severity of your dry mouth, your dentist may advise in-office fluoride treatments or sealants applied to your chewing surfaces to protect them from decay.