5 Tips for a Dry Mouth

Having a dry mouth isn't comfortable to anyone. When you suffer this condition, your mouth feels parched and devoid of all moisture. This is a really annoying condition, indeed, but the worst part is that a dry mouth can make difficult for you important habits, such as swallowing, tasting, and chewing. A dry mouth can also be harmful to your dental health because it promotes bacteria buildup and plaque formation. You deserve the best smile, and that's why we share with you 5 tips that can help you if you suffer from a dry mouth.

What Are the Causes?

Dry Mouth (also called xerostomia) is a condition that results from a low production of saliva. This has serious consequences for dental health because a dry mouth is a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. There are several factors that cause this condition, including:

• A side effect of certain medications. There are many prescription and nonprescription drugs that can dry your mouth. If you're under medication, ask your doctor about the side effects.
• Dehydration. Yes, if your mouth is dry, it's quite possible that you are dehydrating. There are symptoms of dehydration that lead to dry mouth, such as sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Daily life habits. Smoking, drinking alcohol, or chewing tobacco on a regular basis can affect your saliva production. Breathing with your mouth open can also be a factor that contributes to dry mouth.

If you're currently suffering from this condition, follow the next tips to take care of your dental health.

Chew Sugar-Free Gum

When you suffer from this condition, what you need is to increase your salivation levels. Chewing sugar-free gum stimulates the flow of saliva, helping you to keep your mouth moist. In addition, sugar-free gum can also be helpful to keep your teeth clean. You must make sure that the gum doesn't contain sugar at all. Besides being harmful to your teeth, sugar can also be a factor that causes dry mouth. 

Eat Moist Foods

If your salivary glands aren't producing enough saliva, you need to eat foods that make chewing and swallowing easier. Soups, noodles, cheese, fruits, vegetables, or rice are good options. You can also moisten dry foods putting broth, sauces, milk, or melted butter upon them. The softer and moister food is, the better it will be for you.

Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine, and Acidic Drinks

The reason why you should do this is because these drinks dry off your mouth. Also, drinking alcohol or coffee can be extremely harmful to your teeth if you suffer from a dry mouth. Be careful with mouthwashes too. Many of them contain alcohol that promotes dryness in your mouth. Now that you know this, think twice before having a glass of wine at dinner.

Drink Water Throughout the Day

You need to help your mouth to stay hydrated. Make sure of drinking between 8 and 12 glasses of water, especially when you’re eating meals. As we said above, one of the consequences of dry mouth is the difficulty to chew and swallow. Taking sips of water between bites can make the activity of eating much easier.

Visit your Doctor

Although many people may think that having a dry mouth is not a serious problem, it can have long-term consequences. By visiting your doctor, he/she can discover the causes of your condition and help you to treat it. So if you follow the 5 tips we shared with you here and the problem still persists, don't hesitate and visit your doctor.

To treat this or any other condition, you should visit the best dental clinic. Sani Dental Group is the largest dental group in Los Algodones, and one of the largest in Mexico. With more than 30 dentists at 3 different locations, Sani Dental Group is the best option to treat all your dental needs. Give us a call and one of our patient coordinators will give you all the information about our dental treatments. You deserve to have the beautiful smile that you want, and we know how to provide it to you.