A dry mouth can be a very uncomfortable experience. If you have ever felt the desperation to have moisture in your mouth, then you have experienced this dry feeling. Not only does a dry mouth make it difficult to swallow or even speak, but a recurring dry mouth poses problems to a person’s oral health. While it may seem that you simply need to drink some water to alleviate the issue, there is something more going on.

A dry mouth is caused by an inadequate amount of saliva production. Saliva is a necessary component in the mouth for keeping it healthy. Saliva helps wash away bacteria and food particles in the mouth, and it also helps to neutralize oral acids. A low production of saliva puts the mouth at up to 3 times a greater risk for cavities and oral decay. Dry mouth can also result in chronic bad breath that is off-putting to those around you. It is essential that you speak to your dentist if you are experiencing a chronically dry mouth.

Dry mouth can be caused by a number of reasons.

• Prescription medications are one of the biggest culprits of dry mouth. Hundreds of medications produce dry mouth as a side effect. If you have started experiencing dry mouth after beginning a certain prescription, speak to your doctor about changing.
• Aging causes many changes to the body, and many of these changes bring forth the need for prescription medications. Older people are more likely to experience dry mouth simply because they take more medications.
• Diabetes is often linked to dry mouth.
• Anxiety and depression are often linked to dry mouth.
• Tobacco use and methamphetamine use increase dry mouth symptoms.

If you suffer from dry mouth due to any of these reasons, or if your mouth seems to just be dry naturally, your oral health is at risk. At Gold Hill Dentistry, we can help create a plan to combat your chronic dry mouth to ensure that your teeth and gums stay healthy. We can recommend products to lubricate the mouth and help produce a more adequate amount of saliva. When water is not sufficient to keep your mouth moist, contact us to get the help you need.