Dry Mouth

Dry Mouth is a dental condition in which the level of saliva in the mouth is reduced. The saliva has several important functions – to moisten your mouth, to help cleaning small food pieces after eating, to help digestion, to control bacteria and keep the moth healthy. Almost everybody has experienced dry mouth at one time or another. There are many possible causes of dry mouth, which include but are not limited to stress, dehydration, or taking certain medications, having certain diseases, and smoking. If the glands in the mouth that produce saliva are not working properly, you can experience dry mouth.

Having dry mouth can be really uncomfortable and you can experience thirst, dry feeling in the mouth and the throat, trouble swallowing, dry lips, sores, and dry tongue. Dry mouth can increase the risk of gum disease and dental caries. The treatment of a dry mouth will depend on what is causing the problem in the first place. If the dry mouth is caused by medication for example, your physician my to change your medication. If you have a dry mouth you should avoid foods rich in sugar, and drinking coffee and alcohol.

If you experience dry mouth symptoms and they are persistent you should visit your doctor or dentist right away.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this article does not constitute medical advice and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. If you have a health problem you should consult a licensed physician.

Teeth Diseases > Dry Mouth