What Is Dry Mouth?

Known medically as xerostomia, dry mouth occurs when your salivary glands aren’t producing enough saliva to keep your mouth properly lubricated.

You may not think much about it, but saliva is essential for maintaining a healthy smile. It helps wash away food particles, neutralize harmful acids, and control bacteria in your mouth. Without adequate saliva, you’re more vulnerable to developing tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, and even oral infections.

Common Causes of Dry Mouth

There are many reasons your mouth may feel dry. Some of the most common include:

Medications

If you read the side effects on your prescription and over-the-counter medications, you’ll probably see dry mouth listed as a side effect on at least one. Antihistamines, antidepressants, decongestants, and blood pressure medications are common culprits, so be sure to hydrate while using them.

Dehydration

Not drinking enough water, consuming excessive caffeine, or drinking alcohol can reduce your saliva production.

Medical Conditions

Diabetes, autoimmune disorders such as Sjögren’s syndrome, and even some neurological conditions can interfere with efficient salivary gland function.

Mouth Breathing

Chronic congestion or medical issues, such as a deviated septum, can cause you to breathe through your mouth and contribute to dryness.

How Dry Mouth Impacts Your Oral Health

When your saliva levels drop, harmful bacteria can multiply more easily. This increases your risk of cavities, especially along the gumline, and can lead to inflamed or bleeding gums. You may also notice difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking. In more severe cases, dry mouth can cause cracked lips and mouth sores.

What You Can Do

If you’re experiencing ongoing dry mouth, don’t ignore it. Ensuring that you’re hydrated, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and using sugar-free gum or lozenges to stimulate saliva can help. Your dentist may also recommend special rinses or products designed to relieve dry mouth while protecting your teeth.

Don’t Let Dry Mouth Affect Your Oral Health

Addressing chronic dry mouth concerns early can help prevent long-term damage to your oral health and keep your smile healthy and beautiful. To learn more about what may be causing your dry mouth and how to address it, schedule a consultation with your dentist today.

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Understanding the causes and management strategies of dry mouth can help seniors reduce the side effects of this uncomfortable condition and maintain better oral health. So, what are some of the best ways older individuals can manage dry mouth?

Common Causes of Dry Mouth in Seniors

First, it’s important to understand the causes of dry mouth to better assess treatment options. Dry mouth often results from multiple factors, including medications, medical conditions, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and natural aging processes [1]. One or several of these factors can contribute to dry mouth in seniors.

Impact on Daily Life

The effects of dry mouth extend beyond simple discomfort. Common challenges of living with chronic dry mouth include:

• Difficulty speaking and swallowing food
• Increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease
• Problems wearing dentures comfortably
• Changed sense of taste
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Higher risk of oral infections
• Cracked or chapped lips
• Sleep disruption from throat dryness

With all the effects of dry mouth, it’s crucial for seniors to seek treatment to help resolve or manage the condition to protect their health and improve their quality of life.

Medical Management

Professional intervention often begins with a thorough evaluation of medications and existing health conditions. Healthcare providers may adjust prescriptions when possible or recommend specific treatments to stimulate saliva production. Prescription medications like pilocarpine or cevimeline might be prescribed in severe cases [2].

Lifestyle Modifications

Simple changes in daily routine can significantly improve dry mouth symptoms. For example, sipping water frequently throughout the day helps maintain moisture. Using a humidifier, especially while sleeping, can prevent nighttime dryness. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco, all of which can dry out the oral cavity, also helps prevent further mouth dryness.

Dietary Considerations

For many seniors, diet plays a crucial role in managing dry mouth. Soft, moist foods are easier to eat and swallow than dry, tough ones. Sugar-free gum or candies can stimulate saliva production. Avoiding spicy, salty, or acidic foods helps prevent irritation of the dry tissues.

Maintaining Oral Hygiene

Seniors with dry mouth need to be especially vigilant about oral hygiene due to the increased risk of cavities and gum disease with dry mouth [3]. Using fluoride toothpaste and flossing every day helps protect teeth from decay. Older individuals with chronic dry mouth may need more frequent dental check-ups to monitor their oral health and catch any issues early.

Products and Solutions

If adjusting your medication or diet has not helped with your dry mouth, over-the-counter products may be able to provide relief. Artificial saliva substitutes, oral moisturizing gels, and special mouth rinses designed for dry mouth can offer temporary comfort when managing the condition. These products come in different forms, allowing seniors to choose what works best for them.

Don’t Ignore Dry Mouth

You don’t have to live with dry mouth. While managing dry mouth often requires a combination of approaches, finding the right treatment plan can help protect your oral health and improve your quality of life. Don’t ignore dry mouth—contact your dentist to develop a personalized management plan and prevent complications from this uncomfortable condition.

Sources:

1. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/dry-mouth#causes
2. https://www.aaom.com/dry-mouth
3. https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/xerostomia 

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Many common medications can lead to dental health issues you should be aware of to help you take the best care of your smile. Here are some OTC medications that may affect the health of your teeth and gums!

Decongestants and Cough Syrup

Decongestants are meant to help the body expel mucus associated with colds and reduce inflammation. While decongestants can certainly help provide relief for colds and mucus buildup, they’re also known for causing dry mouth.

Saliva helps balance bacteria and protect your teeth from acids that can cause tooth decay. With less saliva in your mouth, your teeth are more susceptible to damage.

Cough syrup is also a culprit in dental health problems. While cough syrup doesn’t necessarily lead to dry mouth, these syrups usually have a considerable amount of sugar and are sticky in nature, which can be acidic on teeth and cause tooth enamel damage [1].

Antacids

Acidic foods can be harmful to your teeth and also harsh on your stomach [2]. For some people who enjoy acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, antacids are helpful in reducing stomach discomfort. However, antacids can also cause dry mouth, and many of these liquids or tablets contain sugar, which has an additional harmful effect on teeth.

Allergy Medications

Antihistamines, or allergy medications, are known for causing dry mouth. As we’ve seen, dry mouth can affect your tooth enamel and bacteria in your oral cavity. Dry mouth can not only cause sensitive teeth, but increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease, so being aware of allergy medications’ impact on your dental health is important [3].

Aspirin

Aspirin is a very acidic over the counter medication that can affect your smile. If you take aspirin or dissolve aspirin in your mouth, be sure to drink water. In addition, your dentist should also know if you’re taking aspirin prior to any dental procedures as it could cause you to bleed more, although generally people on low doses of aspirin are at lower risk [4].

What Can You Do?

For medications that dry out the oral cavity, drinking enough water can help. If you need to take cough syrup, make sure to rinse your mouth afterward and wait about one hour before brushing your teeth to prevent tooth enamel damage.

If you do choose to eat acidic foods or take antacids, drinking water can help reduce the impact of both acids and antacids on teeth. Water is a great help when it comes to OTC medications that can affect teeth and gums!

Are you taking any of these medications? If so, always follow up with your dentist to keep your smile healthy and discuss how your OTC medication could be impacting your dental health!

Sources:
1. https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/patient_51.pdf?la=en
2. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/e/dietary-acids-and-your-teeth
3. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10902-dry-mouth-treatments
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3722997/

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Dry mouth is a condition that has consequences for your oral health, especially if you suffer from chronic dry mouth, sometimes referred to as xerostomia. There are many causes of a dry mouth, and remedying this condition will all depend on addressing the root cause.

What oral health concerns are caused by dry mouth?

Increased Risk for Tooth Decay and Infections

Part of saliva’s role in our mouths is to balance oral bacteria. This balance is easily thrown off by having less saliva in your oral cavity. Dry mouth increases your risk for tooth decay, as well as for fungal infections such as oral thrush [1].

Lack of saliva gives bad bacteria a better chance to attack your tooth enamel. If you repeatedly experience dry mouth, your tooth enamel can suffer, which can cause cavities or an infection to occur.

Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth enamel protects your teeth and plays a vital role in keeping them healthy and strong. However, in cases of dry mouth, bacteria can attack your tooth enamel, causing uncomfortable sensitivity.

Tooth sensitivity is the result of a demineralization of your tooth enamel, which is what happens when acids and bacteria weaken enamel over time [2]. People who experience chronic dry mouth are more likely to have sensitive teeth.

You may experience this sensitivity when eating very hot or very cold foods, but some people experience painful sensitivity when eating sweet or spicy foods as well.

Gum Disease

Did you know dry mouth also increases your risk for gum disease [3]? This is because people who have less saliva in their mouths tend to have more plaque on their teeth. Plaque is the result of food particles and bacteria that can build up on your teeth over time.

If not removed, plaque can begin to irritate your gumline, which can eventually lead to an ongoing infection and gum disease. While brushing and flossing certainly helps to remove plaque—along with professional teeth cleanings—dry mouth can make plaque and its effects worse even for people who keep up with their oral care.

What Can You Do?

Dry mouth can be the result of many things, among them certain medications, dehydration, tobacco and alcohol use, and even certain autoimmune disorders. Determining the cause of your dry mouth is essential to treating it.

Your dentist can help you determine what’s causing your dry mouth and work with you to not only remedy the problem, but to take the best care of your teeth and gums to prevent damage that can lead to tooth decay, oral infections, gum disease, and tooth sensitivity.

If you experience dry mouth, don’t hesitate to reach out to your oral healthcare professional. Your saliva plays a crucial role in keeping your teeth and gums healthy, so don’t ignore dry mouth!

Sources:
1. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/dry-mouth
2. https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/xerostomia
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-mouth/symptoms-causes/syc-

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The causes of dry mouth are numerous, and this condition can affect your smile if not addressed. Teeth that aren’t protected by saliva can be more subject to the bacteria that cause tooth decay. What could be causing your dry mouth, and what can you do about it?

Medications

There are hundreds of different medications that can cause dry mouth. These medications are used to treat high blood pressure, pain, depression, and may also include over-the-counter medications such as allergy antihistamines and cold medicines such as decongestants [1].

However, medications for urinary incontinence have been shown to have the highest risk for causing dry mouth in patients [2]. If your medication is causing your dry mouth, you can talk to your doctor about alternatives, but if alternatives aren’t possible, be sure to drink plenty of water and follow up with your dentist regularly.

Dehydration

Some people experience dehydration and aren’t aware of it. Your body needs an adequate amount of water to function every day; without proper hydration, you may experience short- term symptoms such as a headache and long-term effects such as decreased kidney function.

Adults older than 60 are more at risk for dehydration, but so are people who are not drinking enough water and in hot weather, exercising, or people who have recently experienced vomiting or diarrhea [3]. While mild dehydration can usually be remedied by drinking more water, severe dehydration requires emergency medical treatment.

Certain Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions can make dry mouth more likely, including diabetes. Diabetes can cause you to have limited saliva production, which can increase your risk for tooth decay and gum disease [4].

Uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to increased urination, which can contribute to dehydration and also lead to try mouth. Other types of medical conditions that may contribute to dry mouth include Sjogren’s syndrome, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

What You Can Do

Living with chronic dry mouth can put your oral cavity at higher risk for tooth decay and gum disease. You can, of course, drink more water throughout the day, but it’s important to understand the cause of your dry mouth so you can work to remedy the issue.

In addition to talking to your doctor about your medications, you should also consider dehydration as the cause, and if you’re at higher risk for dry mouth due to any medical conditions you may have.

It’s also imperative to visit your dentist regularly. Since dry mouth can have negative effects on the oral cavity, ensuring your teeth and gums are healthy can help protect your teeth against cavities or gum disease.

Although dry mouth isn’t fun to live with, you can still have a healthy smile and take the best care of your body by knowing your risk for dry mouth and working to minimize the effects!

Sources:
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-mouth/symptoms-causes/syc-20356048
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29071719
3. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=85&contentid=P00828
4. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/d/diabetes

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How exactly does oral thrush happen and who’s most at risk for getting this infection? Here we detail what you need to know about this oral health condition including the most at-risk people and its treatment.

What Causes Oral Thrush?

Candida is actually a type of fungus that normally doesn’t cause problems in the body [1].
However, certain factors can cause candida to become rampant, which can then cause issues such as infections.

There are numerous factors that can cause oral thrush, including prolonged antibiotic use, treatment for cancer via immunosuppressive therapy, and poor oral hygiene.

Oral thrush can cause infections in the mouth, throat, and even the esophagus. Oral thrush can present as white patches in the mouth, redness or tenderness in the mouth, loss of taste, and cracks at the corners of the mouth, which can be painful.

Who Is Most at Risk for Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is common in babies as their immune system isn’t fully developed yet and not able to ward off an overgrowth of candida [2]. Babies and people who have compromised immune systems are the most likely to get oral thrush.

Oral thrush is also common in people who are pregnant, those who smoke, people who
experience chronic stress, and others who have suppressed immune systems [3].

People who have dry mouth may also be more likely to get oral thrush, as are people who have dentures, especially if the dentures aren’t properly cleaned or removed as directed by your dentist.

How Oral Thrush Is Treated

Oral thrush is treated with antifungal medicines. This will usually be a liquid that you’ll either rinse out your mouth with or apply directly to your mouth. However, your doctor may also prescribe capsules you can take orally to help treat your thrush.

Treatment for oral thrush can last up to two weeks [4]. If you or your child has been diagnosed with oral thrush, be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions for healing so you can treat thrush right the first time and not have it return!

Are you concerned about your risk for oral thrush? You can talk more with your doctor or your child’s healthcare provider about oral thrush. Fortunately, the condition usually isn’t considered to be serious and is relatively simple to treat, provided you follow your doctor’s instructions!

Sources:
1. https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/thrush/index.html
2. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/thrush.html
3. https://www.medicinenet.com/thrush/article.htm
4. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/oral-
thrush-in-adults

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Hormone changes—namely decreasing estrogen—in the body can impact a woman’s entire
body, including the oral cavity. Can menopause impact dental health? You might be surprised
to know that your teeth and gums may experience some changes with the onset of menopause.

Menopause May Cause Dry Mouth

Low levels of estrogen in the body can dry out mucous membranes, including the mouth.
Although not every woman will have dry mouth after menopause, some will experience
noticeable dryness that can impact chewing, swallowing, and speaking.

Dry mouth also affects tooth enamel. Saliva helps to protect our teeth from harmful acids and
bacteria. When the mouth is dry, bacteria are more likely to attack and damage tooth enamel,
which can lead to sensitive teeth and tooth decay.

Fortunately, staying hydrated can help, but visit your dentist if you’re worried that dry mouth is
impacting your smile!

Osteoporosis Can Affect Alveolar Bone

Estrogen doesn’t just help to keep the mucous membranes of the body moist—it also helps to
protect bone density. With a lack of estrogen in the body, menopause can often put women at
risk to experience osteoporosis, a condition in which bones can become thinner and more likely
to break.

However, osteoporosis can affect alveolar bone as well, which is the bone that helps support
teeth in the jaw. If alveolar bone becomes less dense, it can lead to loose teeth and even tooth
loss.

Getting regular checkups with your dentist can help detect any changes such as loose teeth to
help stop loss of bone density and protect your smile (and your body)!

Women May Experience an Increased Risk of Gum Disease After Menopause

Although menopause isn’t likely to cause gum disease, it can worsen existing gum disease. With
nearly half of all American adults having some form of gum disease, many people are living with
gum disease and don’t realize it.

Since menopause can lead to other oral cavity changes such as dry mouth, gum disease may get
worse with menopause. The gums may become more red and begin to pull back from the teeth,
causing tooth sensitivity and gum infections.

Gum disease can also contribute to loose teeth, so if you’re experiencing osteoporosis along
with gum disease after menopause, you may be at a higher risk for tooth loss. Gum disease can
be treated and even reversed, so talk with your dentist about your risk for this condition at your
next appointment.

Menopause brings many changes due to hormonal shifts in the body that end menstruation,
some of which may affect the oral cavity. However, you can keep your teeth and gums healthy
as you transition into menopause by visiting your dentist to take the best possible care of your
smile!

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But what are the causes of dry mouth? Here are the top things that may be making your mouth feel dry and uncomfortable in addition to affecting your oral health.

Dehydration

One of the most common causes of dry mouth is simply not drinking enough water. It’s estimated that nearly 75% of Americans aren’t getting enough water throughout the day. Sipping on plain water during the day can help you meet your fluid intake requirements as well as combat dehydration—and dry mouth.

So what drinks are acceptable? Although coffee, caffeinated teas and sodas, and energy drinks won’t count towards your total, water, and herbal tea are acceptable. Remember that plain water is always your best bet!

Certain Medications

Many medications, both prescription and over-the- counter, can cause dry mouth. Some of these medications include anti-depressants, high blood pressure medications, pain medications, and anxiety medications. In addition to these, some over-the- counter allergy medications such as antihistamines and decongestants can cause your mouth to feel dry.

If possible, you can talk with your doctor to see if you can switch medications. If switching medications isn’t an option, you can help relieve your dry mouth throughout the day by adopting a few simple habits. Your options may include sipping water, chewing sugar-free gum, and consuming less caffeine.

Tobacco and Alcohol

Using tobacco, including cigarette smoking, chewing tobacco, and even e-cigarettes can all contribute to dry mouth. Drinking alcohol can easily dehydrate you and can cause dry mouth. It’s important to keep drinking water while consuming alcohol, as you can become dehydrated with each drink and not realize it.

Quitting tobacco products is essential for regaining your oral health back. In addition to stopping dry mouth, cutting out tobacco products can also reduce your risk for cancer, including oral cancer.

Age

As we age, our mouths may not produce as much saliva. Some people are more susceptible to dry mouth than others, depending on what type of medications you’re on, whether or not you smoke, and how much water you drink throughout the day.

If you’re older and suffering from dry mouth, it could be from a variety of things. If you have other health concerns, are on certain kinds of medication, or are receiving treatment such as radiation therapy, you may be more likely to experience dry mouth.

Are you suffering from dry mouth? You can make an appointment with your dentist to help combat the effects dry mouth can have on your smile. From enamel erosion to tooth decay and gum disease, dry mouth is nothing to take lightly. You can fight dry mouth and have a beautiful smile with the help of your dentist and doctor!

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When our mouths are in their normal resting state, the lips are closed and we breathe through our nose. This allows saliva to be present in the mouth and keep all the teeth moist and protected. When you suffer from dry mouth whether it’s the result of a medication, frequent mouth breathing, or not drinking enough water, saliva production is impacted.

Your saliva keeps the pH of your mouth neutral and therefore stops harmful acids from affecting your teeth. These acids are often produced by consumption of certain acidic foods such as sugar, and they can attack your tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay.

Dry Mouth Erodes Tooth Enamel

Your dry mouth is directly impacting your tooth enamel. Enamel protects your teeth from bacteria and cavities that can eat away at the tooth. When we have adequate saliva in our mouths, the saliva acts as a buffer between any harmful acids or bacteria and our enamel. This means enamel is much less likely to be impacted when saliva is present. When saliva is lacking, tooth enamel stands a greater chance of being eroded. There’s no buffer, so the enamel is directly exposed to bacteria that could slowly erode the enamel. After your tooth enamel is gone, there’s no replacing it and tooth sensitivity and decay often result.

Saliva Keeps Plaque and Bacteria Away

Saliva helps to balance bacteria that help us chew, speak, and swallow. Without saliva, our mouths have a more difficult time functioning. Food is more difficult to chew, meaning larger particles or more particles may get stuck in our mouths. Saliva usually helps remove these food particles and prevents them from making a home in between our teeth and causing decay later on.

Your saliva also plays an important role in stopping bad breath. When bacteria are balanced, plaque is less likely to stick to teeth and attack the tooth enamel. This also means you have fresher breath in addition to a healthier smile! Bad breath is often a sign of gum disease, so check with your dentist if you’re noticing any changes.

Dry mouth may appear innocent on the surface, but this condition is much more damaging to teeth than people think. If you suspect you have dry mouth, visit your doctor or dentist to find out what the problem is. In the meantime, sip on water as often as possible and try not to breathe through your mouth. Getting the cause of dry mouth addressed is essential to having a healthy smile for the future!

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OSA is a serious sleep disorder that can affect your entire life. Other symptoms of OSA include daytime fatigue, headaches upon waking, or even high blood pressure and changes in mood. Since your sleep helps restore energy and balance hormones—among many other tasks—OSA could be the culprit behind these symptoms in addition to your snoring.

Getting a Diagnosis

Dentists are trained to recognize symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, such as dry mouth or enamel erosion. However, your dentist won’t be able to diagnose the disorder. If your dentist suspects you have OSA, he or she can arrange a sleep test for you through a neurologist to get a proper diagnosis. Once the sleep study has been conducted, your neurologist can advise if sleep apnea is present or not. If obstructive sleep apnea is the cause of your snoring and abnormal sleep patterns, your dentist will likely be the person to help treat your OSA with oral sleep appliances.

Oral Sleep Appliances Can Help

Oral sleep appliances are devices worn in the mouth that help keep your airway open during sleep. Not only does this help alleviate snoring, but it can also combat the symptoms of OSA. Your dentist is the person who can treat sleep apnea by fitting you with a custom oral sleep appliance. These appliances are just like a mouth guard but are comfortable and help you breathe properly throughout the night.

Your dentist should be experienced with oral sleep appliance therapy and be able to work with you to recommend the best oral sleep appliance for your OSA. These devices are small, easily portable, and simple to take care of. Best of all, they can help you get a proper night’s rest and help treat your OSA!

Is it time to talk to your dentist about your snoring? If you’re experiencing other symptoms along with your snoring habit, it’s time to schedule a dentist visit. Your dentist can talk with you about your symptoms and refer you to a sleep specialist. Don’t let snoring or daytime fatigue take over your life—there is effective treatment! Talk to your dentist about OSA and oral sleep appliances today.

Image provided by nenetus at freedigitalphotos.net

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