My Blog
Archive:
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
Tags
- clear aligners (3)
- celebrity smiles (73)
- orthodontics (11)
- oral hygiene (26)
- wisdom teeth (5)
- cosmetic dentistry (12)
- teeth whitening (2)
- dental injury (7)
- mouthguard (2)
- dental injuries (2)
- root canal (5)
- bonding (2)
- dental exam (1)
- oral health (25)
- retainer (2)
- tmj disorders (4)
- tmd (1)
- tmj (1)
- dental implants (9)
- abscessed tooth (1)
- gum disease (12)
- birth control (1)
- orthodontic treatment (25)
- dental anxiety (1)
- missing tooth (1)
- crowns (4)
- infection control (1)
- athletic mouthguards (1)
- tooth decay (10)
- pediatric dentistry (12)
- teeth wear (1)
- tooth grinding (1)
- stress (1)
- dental care (3)
- braces (12)
- porcelain veneers (3)
- pediatric care (1)
- toothache (2)
- nutrition (5)
- anesthesia (1)
- dental emergency (1)
- cavities (1)
- tooth pain (2)
- burning mouth syndrome (1)
- retainers (2)
- teeth grinding (3)
- root canal treatment (5)
- sealants (1)
- sedation dentistry (4)
- bad breath (4)
- chipped tooth (4)
- space maintainer (1)
- eating disorders (1)
- veneers (2)
- oral cancer (3)
- mouthguards (5)
- sensitive teeth (1)
- thumb sucking (1)
- dentures (3)
- cancer treatment (1)
- fluoride (2)
- removable dentures (1)
- periodontal disease (1)
- laser dentistry (1)
- gum recession (4)
- local anesthesia (1)
- dry mouth (2)
- sleep apnea (1)
- snoring (1)
- root resorption (1)
- pulp capping (1)
- tooth wear (2)
- jaw pain (1)
- smoking (1)
- dental implant (1)
- extraction (1)
- lingual braces (1)
- chewing tobacco (1)
- bonded retainer (1)
- chipped teeth (1)
- apicoectomy (1)
- smile makeover (3)
- vaping (1)
- loose tooth (1)
- tmj disorder (1)
- aging (1)
Categories:
My Blog
Posts for tag: dry mouth
Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt like your mouth was filled with cotton? We've all had bouts of occasional dry mouth, but the unpleasantness usually goes away after we eat or drink something.
But what if you have dry mouth all the time? In that case, it's more than unpleasant—it could be increasing your risk of dental disease. That's because your dry mouth symptoms are being caused by a lack of adequate saliva. Besides providing antibodies to fight harmful bacteria, saliva also neutralizes mouth acid that can cause tooth decay.
Your decrease in saliva could be caused by smoking or moderate to heavy alcohol consumption. It could also be a side effect of medications you're taking, one reason why older people, who on average take more prescription drugs than other age groups, have a high incidence of dry mouth.
So, what can you do to alleviate chronic dry mouth?
Watch what you eat and drink. Certain foods and beverages can worsen chronic dry mouth. Try to avoid or limit alcohol and caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea or soft drinks, as well as salty or spicy foods.
If you use tobacco, quit. Tobacco, especially smoking, can dry out your mouth, as well as damage your salivary glands. Abstaining from tobacco can alleviate dry mouth and help prevent dental disease.
Drink more water. Simply drinking water ensures your body has an ample supply for producing saliva. It's also beneficial for your dental health in general, as it can help buffer your mouth's acid levels and rinse away food remnants that could become food for bacteria.
Speak to your doctor. If you suspect a drug that you're taking may be causing dry mouth, discuss with your doctor alternative medications that may minimize this side effect. Simply changing prescriptions could alleviate your dry mouth symptoms.
You can also try saliva stimulants, both over-the-counter and prescription, to help your mouth produce more saliva. And be sure you also keep up daily habit of brushing and flossing to clear away bacterial plaque and lower your risk of dental disease.
If you would like more information on protecting your mouth from dental disease, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.
When your mouth is dry, you know it: that sticky, uncomfortable feeling when you first wake up or when you're thirsty. Fortunately, it usually goes away after you eat or drink. But what if your mouth felt like that all the time? Then, it's no longer an irritation—chronic dry mouth could also increase your risk of dental disease.
Chronic dry mouth occurs because of inadequate saliva flow. Saliva plays an important role in preventing dental disease because it neutralizes acid, which can cause the mineral content in tooth enamel to break down and lead to tooth decay. The mouth becomes more acidic right after eating, but saliva can restore its normal pH levels in about an hour—as well as some of the enamel's lost mineral content. Without saliva, your tooth enamel is at greater risk from acid.
While a number of things can potentially interfere with normal saliva production, medication is the most common. More than 500 prescription drugs, including many antihistamines, diuretics or antidepressants, can cause dry mouth. Cancer radiation or chemotherapy treatment and certain metabolic conditions like diabetes or Parkinson's disease can also increase symptoms.
If you are experiencing unusual dry mouth symptoms, see your dentist first for a full examination. Your dentist can measure your saliva flow, check your prescriptions and medical history, and examine your salivary glands for abnormalities. With this more accurate picture of your condition, they can help direct you to the most effective remedies and treatments for the cause.
If medication is the problem, you can talk to your doctor about alternative prescriptions that have a lesser effect on saliva flow. You can also drink more water before and after taking oral medication and throughout the day to help lubricate your mouth. Chewing gums or mints with xylitol, a natural alcohol sugar, can also help: xylitol helps reduce the mouth's bacterial levels, as well as stimulate saliva flow.
Easing your dry mouth symptoms can make your life more pleasant. More importantly, it can reduce your risk of future dental problems caused by a lack of saliva.
If you would like more information on dealing with chronic dry mouth, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dry Mouth: Learn about the Causes and treatment of this Common Problem.”
