If you're suffering from dry mouth, there may be different causes for your discomfort. Read more here and contact Tandliv for further questions.
What is dry mouth?
Dry mouth is caused by impaired function of the salivary glands, resulting in decreased saliva secretion (hyposalivation) or a change in saliva composition. This is typically associated with certain diseases or taking certain medications. The feeling of dry mouth is called xerostomia by dentists. Most commonly, the feeling of dry mouth occurs when saliva production is reduced by about 50%. However, in some cases, xerostomia, the feeling of dry mouth, may not be related to reduced saliva but may be the result of increased evaporation of saliva from the oral cavity when breathing through the mouth, for example at night.
What can cause dry mouth?
Medication consumption, as many medications have dry mouth as a side effect (e.g. medications for depression and high blood pressure). You should be aware that the more types of medication you take (polypharmacy), the greater the likelihood that one or more of the medications will have dry mouth as a side effect.
Besides medication, certain diseases cause dry mouth. These include autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren's syndrome, but also diseases such as mental depression, diabetes, hyper- and hypothyroidism, HIV/AIDS and cystic fibrosis can cause dry mouth. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, dehydration and menopause are other possible causes of hyposalivation or changes in saliva composition and thus dry mouth.
Chemotherapy and radiation treatment of the head and neck area also reduces saliva production as the salivary glands are damaged. At lower doses of radiation, the salivary glands can sometimes become functional again and saliva production increases to normal levels, while at higher doses of radiation there is usually permanent damage to the salivary gland tissue, resulting in permanently reduced saliva production and dry mouth.
How is dry mouth experienced?
Dry mouth due to reduced saliva secretion usually persists throughout the day. At night, dry mouth can cause sleepless nights or interrupted sleep due to the need to hydrate repeatedly. Similarly, dry mouth (regardless of the cause) can cause a "burning mouth" sensation, difficulty chewing and swallowing dry foods (e.g. biscuits), impair speech, and impair the sense of taste as flavors dissolve in saliva. In addition, dry mouth can lead to bad breath, denture discomfort, inflammation of the gums and mucous membranes, and increase the risk of tooth decay as saliva's ability to clean the oral cavity is impaired.
How is dry mouth treated?
Dry mouth treatment aims to stimulate the salivary glands to increase saliva production whenever possible. Therefore, it is recommended to try chewing chewing gum (sugar-free) as this can sometimes stimulate the salivary gland tissue to increase saliva secretion. Similarly, you can try sucking on lozenges (sugar-free) or sweets, as this stimulates saliva secretion.
It is recommended to choose something with a citrus flavor, as acidic flavors stimulate salivation particularly well. If your dry mouth is caused by medications, you can consult your doctor who may be able to recommend alternative medications. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene and use fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth decay. If you are unsure if you have reduced salivation, your dentist can easily and painlessly perform a salivometry test.
