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Posted on 7/15/2019 by Jasmine Marshall |
 Xerostomia, chronic dry mouth, happens when you don't have enough saliva or moisture in your mouth. This can be both irritating and embarrassing. It happens because your saliva glands aren't producing enough saliva either due to taking medications like those for antihistamines or high blood pressure or because you have a disease like diabetes or a hormone imbalance. Fortunately, there are some things you can do about it. Watch What You Eat and Drink Drinking caffeine, carbonated drinks, and even alcohol can dry your mouth out even more. Instead, you should spritz your mouth regularly with water. Additionally, the foods you eat can also make your dry mouth worse. This is especially true of foods that are really spicy or salty, as well as any foods that are sweet and sticky. When you're hungry for such a food, try chewing on a piece of sugarless gum instead. This will help with your sweet tooth and get your saliva flowing again. Shop for the Right Products When you're buying oral healthcare products, you'll want to avoid any mouthwash that contains alcohol. This is because the alcohol has a drying effect on the tissues in your mouth. It's also important for you to avoid any toothpaste containing sodium laurel sulfate. This is a type of salt that can make your mouth feel like it's been burnt. Otherwise, we're able to recommend products that would be a better fit for you. There are even some products that are specially made to help your mouth's tissues feel better. Sometimes we'll even go as far as writing you a prescription for artificial saliva swabs or an artificial saliva spray. Visit Our OfficeIf you've tried to cope with or even “treat” your own dry mouth and found that you're still not producing enough saliva, make sure you give our office a call. We'll set up a time for you to come in so that we can tackle this issue together. |
