Dry Mouth Symptoms And Treatments A dry mouth is responsible for a majority of oral health problems. The dryness of the mouth is mainly due to the lack of saliva and this lack of production of saliva can be due to various reasons. Saliva plays a vital role in maintaining your oral as well as overall health. Many harmful bacteria can form in the mouth to dry up the saliva which makes your mouth dry. These bacteria multiply and create the oral problems through the shortage of saliva in the mouth. Saliva helps in washing out the bacteria produced by the food particles but, when the saliva reduces in your mouth and it dries up, then the bacteria start multiplying themselves creating oral problems which may convert into serious oral diseases. A persistently dry mouth can lead to gum infections and serious conditions like gingivitis and periodontal disease which are now connected to other health conditions like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Symptoms Of a Dry Mouth -Thick or stringy saliva -Sores or split skin at the corners of the mouth -Cracked lips -Difficulty in speaking or swallowing -Sore throat -Altered sense of taste -Fungal infections -Increase in plaque, or tooth decay -Gum disease Consequences Of Dry Mouth When the mouth remains dry, the tendency of bacterial formation increases and this can lead to serious oral conditions like gum disease and periodontal disease if not attended properly. These conditions can further be linked to the health conditions like bad breath, gingivitis, bleeding gums, gum boils, canker sores, gum disease, gum infection, loose teeth, red gums, mouth sores, periodontal disease, swollen gums, pyorrhea, thrush, trench mouth, thrush, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, metabolic syndrome, stroke, bacterial pneumonia and various others. Causes Of Dry Mouth There are lots of factors that cause dry mouth like Sjogren’s Syndrome, dehydration, damage to salivary glands, diabetes, side effects of medical treatments, or nerve damage. There are certain medical prescriptions that also cause dry mouth and these treatment drugs are described as below: -Antidepressants -Anti-diarrheal -Antihistamines -Muscle relaxants -Parkinson’s disease drugs -Diabetes medications
-Chemotherapy -Alzheimer’s disease drugs -Blood pressure drugs There still many other external sources that cause dry mouth, that you may not realize it at first. Prevention: As there are so many of the factors responsible for dry mouth, there are also ways to prevent your mouth from getting dry. -The first and foremost thing is to drink plenty of water -You can also use an antibacterial mouthwash to restore the moisture of your mouth and kill bacteria -Avoid strongly flavored foods and beverages that will cause bad breath -Cultivate good hygiene habits that will include taking care of your oral health too -Avoid certain mouthwashes containing an alcohol ingredient in them -Avoid beverages containing alcohol and caffeine Treatment: Normally, the treatment of dry mouth depends on the root cause of the problem causing dry mouth. But, it mainly focuses on the underlying medical conditions, tooth decay, and increasing the flow of saliva to the possible extent. If the underlying medical conditions are caused due to certain medical prescriptions, your doctor can either change the prescription or decrease the dosage to control dry mouth. If the underlying medical conditions cannot be changed, then the doctors can go alternatively with the ways to increase the saliva flow. Saliva helps in the digestion process as well as it acts as natural mouth cleanser which washes away the bacteria formed by the food particles. Moreover, without saliva there are high possibilities of tooth decay and gum disease so, you are required to be more careful about your oral hygiene and should regularly brush and floss your teeth. You should also visit your dentist at regular intervals to check your oral health. Source Link: http://checkthis.com/ur15