Smoking and other lifestyle choices can be one of the causes of dry mouth.
Do you feel like you have constant cotton mouth or feel like you need a drink all the time? This sensation of dry mouth can actually be damaging to your teeth and gums. Let’s take a look at what causes this dryness as well as how to get rid of it.
What is Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth is the absence of saliva that moistens your mouth and helps to digest the food. The absence of saliva can make your mouth feel dry. If you are experiencing chronic dry mouth, you may be experience several things along with it. A sticky and dry feeling in your mouth, an insatiable thirst, sores, split skin at the corners of your mouth, and cracked or chapped lips. You may also be experiencing a dry throat, burning or tingling sensation in your mouth or tongue, a dry tongue that is red and raw, trouble speaking or tasting foods, chewing, and even swallowing. It may also be accompanied by bad breath and hoarseness as well as dry nasal passages.
Causes of Dry Mouth
This sensation can be caused by a number of different things such as medical side effects, diseases, infections, nerve damage, dehydration, surgical removal of salivary glands, and even your lifestyles. Dry mouth is a common side effect of prescription and nonprescription medications. These medications can be prescribed for depression, allergies, anxiety, colds, pain, acne, diarrhea, nausea, asthma, and medicine for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Diseases and infections like the flu, cystic fibrosis, anemia, stroke, diabetes, and HIV/AIDs can also make your mouth dry. Medical treatments like radiation and chemotherapy can also make your mouth feel dry.
Treatments for Dry Mouth
The first step of getting rid of your dry mouth is to find the cause. Think back to the first time you experienced this sensation. Were you taking medications, change in lifestyle, going through a medical treatment? These things could have triggered it. To help relieve the sensation, ask your primary care physician if you can change medicine. If that is not an option, you can help to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling by following these tips. Try sucking on sugar-free candy or chewing sugar-free gum, drinking plenty of water, and breathing through your nose instead of your mouth. You can also use fluoride toothpaste or an over-the-counter artificial saliva substitute. Another option is to use a vaporizer in your home to bring moisture into the air of your home.
Dry mouth can also cause tooth decay and other dental problems if it is not taken care of. Speak with your Catonsville Dental Care dentist today about your dry mouth!
Catonsville Dental Care
Regularly seeing your Catonsville Dental Care dentist will help to determine if your child’s dental routines need modifications. For more information on pediatric dental care as well as other preventative dental care services, call Catonsville Dental Care today! Call today at 410-747-1115, or submit any questions by visiting CatonsvilleDentalCare.com.
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