How to Treat Dry mouth
Dry mouth, also called Xerostomia, occurs when there isn’t enough saliva in the mouth. If you have trouble chewing or swallowing, or if you wake up with a sticky, dry feeling within the mouth, you could have dry mouth. The lack of saliva can make even talking hard. Deciding how to treat does depend on the cause. At-home treatments can be helpful, but if they don’t give relief, your dentist can give you more assistance.
It can happen because of medications, radiation, chemotherapy, or you may have diabetes that affects the salivary glands, and also autoimmune disease too. Treating this can help prevent issues such as mouth sores, gum disease, oral thrush, and tooth decay.
Chewing sugar-free gum is another good way to stimulate these glands, drinking water every day is good too. Running a humidifier at night can prevent this in the morning. There is also artificial saliva that you can by too. Stimulating these glands is useful for treatment, especially if you know that the nerves themselves aren’t affected. Some of the causes of dry mouth doe include reducing salivary production, so stimulation is a quick fix.
Some of the dry mouth people may feel it in the middle of the mouth, and that may be because you breathe through your mouth when you sleep. The best way t fix that is to not breathe through your mouth as much, and keep water and a humidifier in your mouth. This is also good if you live in a climate that is arid. Drinking lots of water can also help with the oral tissues, keeping them moist during the day, which is great for dryer climates.
Avoiding certain foods is definitely important too. Reducing or eliminating alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate you, can help with this. Stopping smoking is another lifestyle change that treats this. Finally, using a mouthwash that is alcohol-free is another option and can make this easier for you. If you do notice that you’re having trouble with this, you can always talk to your dentist, and they can prescribe you something. Stimulating these glands may require some over-the-counter treatments that are available in the pharmacy. Artificial saliva supplements allow for you to have moisture added to the mouth when needed and give relief during the day. You should make sure that you get products that include xylitol in order to help with stimulating this as well.
Making sure that you get the right hygiene in place too is essential. You may want to make sure that if you are having a lot of trouble, that you see a dentist in order to help get the help that you need. There is a lot that you can do, and a lot that can be utilized to improve the treatment of this, so remember that the next time you go in to get treatment for dry mouth since there is a lot that you can do, and a lot that helps.
