Dry mouth—clinically referred to as ‘xerostomia’—can be caused by many factors, such as medications, tobacco use, alcohol intake, or even certain diseases. Unfortunately, dry mouth can also be detrimental to your oral health. If you suspect you’re suffering from chronic dry mouth, read on to learn more about how this condition can affect your oral health and how Hawthorn Road Family Dental can help.
What is Dry Mouth?
We rely on saliva to eat, swallow, speak, and even smile. Without it, our soft oral tissues can feel sticky or even rub against one another, creating sores. When someone has a dry mouth, it means that their salivary glands are not producing enough saliva to keep their mouth moist and lubricated. Although it’s fairly normal to experience dry mouth from time to time, chronic dry mouth (xerostomia) is not normal or healthy and will predispose you to dental problems.
Identifying the cause behind your dry mouth can help reduce potential side effects, such as irritated gum tissues or tooth decay. But if the condition isn’t treatable—due to an underlying medical condition—it may be necessary to take other steps to prevent unnecessary complications.
What is Saliva?
Saliva is a natural lubricant and buffer that protects our teeth and soft tissues inside our mouth. We rely on adequate saliva flow for everything from chewing our food to being able to swallow or speak properly. Without it, our tongue may feel stuck in place, it can be painful to swallow, and even certain foods may feel impossible to eat.
But saliva also helps keep our mouths healthy. Because saliva also rinses over our teeth between meals, it naturally helps to control acid levels and bacterial plaque. Without adequate saliva, teeth become more susceptible to bacterial damage and erosion, leading to an increased risk of tooth decay and sensitivity. If you have existing periodontal disease, dry mouth can compound problems even further and make it difficult to keep your mouth as healthy as you’d like to.
What is Dry Mouth a Sign Of?
In most cases, dry mouth is caused by prescriptions or over-the-counter medications that naturally decrease saliva flow as they work to manage other conditions. But dry mouth can also be linked to autoimmune diseases, dehydration, and diabetes.
If you’re dehydrated—because of an illness, caffeine intake (caffeine is a natural diuretic), or simply aren’t drinking enough water during the day—this can also cause you to experience dry mouth symptoms.
Dry mouth is also a common side-effect for anyone undergoing cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, due to cellular deterioration in the saliva glands. Especially when treating cancers of the head and neck. Unfortunately, these treatments typically destroy the function of the saliva glands, so saliva production usually does not improve even after the conclusion of their cancer therapy.
Causes of Dry Mouth at Night
When we sleep, our saliva production naturally decreases because we are not eating, swallowing, or digesting food. But excessive night-time dry mouth can be linked to other issues, such as mouth breathing, snoring, sleep apnoea, and caffeine or alcohol intake before going to bed. It’s recommended that you do not consume any alcoholic beverages for at least two hours before bedtime to help avoid dry mouth.
Waking up with a dry mouth can also increase your chances of having ‘morning breath.’
In the majority of situations that we see, dry mouth is tied back to prescription and over-the-counter medications. Such as antihistamines, allergy medicines, decongestants, and even those used to manage depression or anxiety. There are currently over 400 known medications that cause or contribute to dry mouth. Depending on when you take your medicine, it could make you more likely to have dry mouth at night while you’re sleeping.
It’s also worth noting that athletes may experience dry mouth in the hours after training due to mouth breathing during exercise. Similarly, people who mouth breath because of chronic sinusitis or a stuffy nose may notice that their mouth is dry because they are mouth breathing instead of breathing in and out through their nose.
Nicotine products also reduce how much saliva your body produces, which can contribute to dry or sensitive teeth. This can be especially concerning because of the higher risk of gum disease and tooth loss in patients who smoke.
Dry Mouth Symptoms
People with chronic dry mouth frequently experience complications like:
- Red, sore gums
- Sore throat
- Dry, chapped lips
- Thrush or similar mouth infections
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Increased risk of tooth decay
- Mouth sores, especially under dentures
Cavities are one of the biggest concerns associated with dry mouth, as teeth need saliva to help buffer acids and bacteria throughout the day. Without adequate saliva flow, teeth are much more likely to succumb to cavity-causing plaque. Even if dry mouth isn’t causing you physical discomfort, it’s a serious risk to the health of your smile in the years and decades ahead.
Dry Mouth Management
The first step to managing dry mouth is knowing when it’s a problem. Do you tend to experience symptoms most in the morning after you wake up? Are you drinking alcohol before bed or using an alcohol-based mouthwash? If possible, cut out alcohol-based products and limit caffeine intake. A tobacco cessation program is also recommended if you smoke or use any form of tobacco products. It’s best to address xerostomia before complications arise while they’re still preventable.
Start by focusing on your hydration throughout the day. Be sure you’re getting enough water intake to remain hydrated, as dehydration is common, especially if your caffeine intake is high. Sipping on water throughout the day will help reduce dry mouth symptoms and keep your mouth moisturised, which is especially important between meals. As an added bonus, frequent water intake can lower your risk of getting new cavities. Try to avoid anything with artificial sweeteners or natural sugars, as these can contribute to acid and plaque production.
If you’re taking medication known to cause dry mouth, ask your provider about alternative medicine or when to take your prescription during the day to limit symptoms. For example, you might take your medication in the morning and sip on water throughout the day instead of before bedtime and waking up with a dry mouth. Or there may be an alternative option available that isn’t known to cause xerostomia.
Promoting saliva production by chewing sugar-free gum or mints is also an effective tool for managing xerostomia symptoms. Hawthorn Road Family Dental recommends gum or mints with xylitol in them, as this ingredient also helps manage plaque levels for cleaner, healthier teeth.
Dry Mouth Treatment
Because dry mouth can cause significantly higher rates of tooth decay, it is crucial to implement a preventative care plan to reduce your risk of cavities. If not, decay can easily develop and will then need to be managed through restorative methods, such as dental fillings or other non-reversible treatments.
First, plan to use dry mouth products recommended by our dentist to increase moisture and lubrication. These are sometimes drops, rinses, or similar oral health agents specifically designed for xerostomia patients. Be sure not to suck on mints or gums that contain sugar, as this can increase your risk of tooth decay, especially if you already have dry mouth.
Next, make sure you’re using a fluoridated toothpaste designed to prevent tooth decay and enamel demineralisation. Fluoride mouthwash is also recommended. Use these products as directed, which is usually twice per day. Avoid using any mouth rinse containing alcohol, as it may make your dry mouth symptoms worse than they already are.
If needed, we can also prescribe a concentrated fluoride gel to use at night before you go to bed. Professional fluoride treatments are incredibly effective in remineralising weak enamel to lower the chances of cavities if you have dry mouth. We recommend an application after each of your routine six-month scale and cleans.
Also, be sure to practice good oral health. Daily brushing and flossing are essential to remove plaque bacteria. Chances are that if you have a dry mouth, you may have more plaque buildup than someone who doesn’t have xerostomia. Brushing thoroughly every day will reduce your chances of gum disease and cavities.
And finally, plan to schedule an exam and clean at least twice a year. These six-monthly checkups allow us to screen for oral concerns while they’re still in the earliest stages, where they’re easier to correct or possibly even reverse, as in the case of enamel demineralisation.
Surgical intervention may be necessary for rare scenarios where saliva glands are blocked (usually because of saliva stones).
If you suffer from frequent dry mouth symptoms, you must see a dentist routinely to screen for enamel demineralisation, tooth decay, and gum disease. If it’s been six months or longer since your last checkup, call Hawthorn Road Family Dental today to reserve your next appointment.
