What Causes Dry Mouth?
- Some Medications including antihistamines and anti-depressants
- Some medical conditions including Sjögren’s Syndrome and diabetes
- Cancer and Cancer Treatment
- Increasing age
What are the symptoms of dry mouth?
For sufferers with a mild condition, it may be hard to detect dry mouth.
In fact, most sufferers don’t notice they have dry mouth until their saliva flow has dropped by 50%.
The symptoms of dry mouth can include:
- A sore mouth
- Overall stickiness to the touch
- Cracking at the corners of the mouth
- Dry, cracked and painful lips
- A red, parched or pebbled look on the tongue
- Difficulty eating spicy or dry foods
- Food not tasting the way it used to
- Difficulty speaking
- A tendency to wake up more often during the night
- Bad breath
- Discomfort wearing dentures
- Feeling thirsty, especially at night
Self-Care Suggestions for Dry Mouth Syndrome
Be guided by your doctor and dentist, but general self-care suggestions include:
- Brush and floss your teeth at least twice daily.
- Regularly use fluoride-containing products. Ask your dentist about which ones are best.
- Treat dry lips with Vaseline or some other type of greasy balm, such as lanolin. An air humidifier used in your bedroom at night may help.
- Ask your Dentist for more information if you wear dentures – adhesive dental products may be recommended.
- Take out partial or full dentures while you sleep.
- Ask your Dentist for advice on toothpaste suitable for dry mouth syndrome.
- Visit your Dentist regularly for check-ups, and treatment if necessary.