About Chronic Dry Mouth

Saliva is a key ingredient in maintaining the normal function of your mouth, throat and even teeth. Chronic dry mouth, known officially in the medical field as Xerostomia, can cause many serious problems besides just minor irritation or difficulty in chewing because of a lack of readily flowing liquid in your mouth.

Function

• Saliva is produced by three glands located in the mouth, and consists almost entirely of water. The remaining portions of saliva are made of proteins and enzymes. Saliva flows through your mouth and throat to keep your teeth, tongue and cheeks free of objects that may develop harmful bacteria. Chronic dry mouth lowers or completely stops the production of saliva in the mouth intermittently throughout the course of the day and over a long period of time.

Features

• The enzymes in saliva provide the same benefit for your mouth that antibodies provide for your blood. Saliva lowers the level of acidity in the plaque that builds up in your mouth to slow down the natural decaying process of your teeth. It also lowers the chance that you will get an infection in your mouth by destroying foreign bacteria or microbes. The liquid consistency of saliva also aids in the digestion of food. Dry mouth prevents saliva from performing its intended functions and increases the chances that you will develop disease or get cavities.

Identification

• You can tell if you are suffering from chronic dry mouth by looking for specific symptoms. The most common symptoms include a frequent burning sensation on the tongue, sores on the cheeks or tongue, swift development of tooth decay or cavities, bad breath that remains even after brushing, inability to taste food and problems swallowing food.

Considerations

• Chronic dry mouth can be a sign of much more serious problems such as diabetes, Sjogren's Syndrome, damage to your saliva glands or damage to your nerve endings from a blow to the head. Damage to saliva glands can cause permanent dry mouth, which no medication is able to cure. Hundreds of different prescription medications cause dry mouth as a side effect, so you should contact your physician if you develop the condition after being prescribed a new medicine.

Prevention/Solution

• Lower your likelihood of acquiring chronic dry mouth by brushing your teeth three times a day and reducing the amount of caffeine and sugar you intake, as those substances can damage saliva glands. You can keep saliva flowing when you experience dry mouth by holding a sugar-free hard candy in your mouth or by mixing baking soda in water and gargling the mixture every few hours. Herbal supplements such as goldenseal are reported to be able to aid in saliva production, but they have not been approved by the FDA, so their effectiveness cannot be guaranteed.