What Causes Dry Mouth?


Does your mouth feel like a desert? Saliva plays an important role in digestion, your ability to taste, and protecting your teeth against harmful bacteria left behind by food particles. A decrease in your saliva production is not only a nuisance, but it can negatively impact your oral health. Here, we’ll discuss some of the most common causes of dry mouth and a few best practices to correct it.

1. Medicinal Side Effects

Medications used to treat a variety of health issues can cause dry mouth. These medications are not limited to prescription drugs, as several over-the-counter medications can have the same effect. The most notable dry mouth inducing medications include antidepressants, antihistamines, pain medication, blood pressure medication, and a variety of others. If one of these medications is responsible for your symptoms, oftentimes your doctor can put you on a different medication or slightly lower the dosage.

2. Excessive Tobacco & Alcohol Use

If you notice your dry mouth flares after you’ve been smoking or drinking, that’s because both alcohol and tobacco dry out your mouth and inhibit saliva production. It’s best you refrain from using tobacco products altogether, as it is detrimental to not only your dental health but your overall health as well. When responsibly consuming alcohol, ensure you’re drinking water between alcoholic drinks. And if you like using a mouthrinse, be sure to buy an alcohol-free mouthwash.

3. Dehydration

One of the most obvious causes of dry mouth is dehydration. Noticing a dry mouth is one of the first indications of dehydration. If not taken care of, dehydration can lead to more serious complications including fever, vomiting, and profuse sweating. Many health professionals recommend drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day. But the best rule of thumb is to listen to your body and drink water even before you feel thirsty, especially when in the heat and/or exercising.

Comments

  1. Katie DuncanJanuary 18, 2020 at 4:21 AM

    Dry mouth is indeed a common condition and people must acknowledge the ways to prevent it by following the simple methods. Check out my Dental blog here
    Dentist In Mulund
    Fixed Teeth In 3 Days

    ReplyDelete
  2. Janelle HaleNovember 24, 2020 at 7:05 AM

    Nice article on preventive dental care

    ReplyDelete
  3. Renee YurovskyApril 21, 2021 at 5:07 PM

    Thanks for taking the time to share this informative information on the causes of dry mouth. This was filled with such wonderful details and I hope to see more from you in the near future. Have a great rest of your day.
    Dentist Philadelphia

    ReplyDelete

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