Xerostomia – When Your Saliva Doesn’t Flow As It Should
A dry mouth is relatively common, but long term, it can cause a number of oral health issues.
Most of us will have experienced a dry mouth (xerostomia) a few times in our life. Sometimes this might be an after effect of drinking too much alcohol the night before, or perhaps simply caused by not drinking enough fluids throughout the day and becoming dehydrated. Usually, this causes no major long term issues and soon resolves as we become sufficiently rehydrated.
Some people though, may be more prone to this happening, sometimes for reasons out of their control. When this happens, your oral health might be affected, and it is this that we will take a look at in today’s blog.
Causes of a dry mouth
We have touched on this above, namely alcohol consumption and general dehydration. There may be other causes though and these include:
Age – Saliva flow tends to naturally reduce as we grow older
Medication side effects – some medications such as diuretics and anti-depressants commonly cause this
Medical conditions – Diabetes and general auto-immune problems can have this as a symptom
Smoking – Along with alcohol, this causes a dry mouth and also increases the risk of gum disease and oral cancer
Mouth breathers – Breathing through the mouth rather than the nose is more likely to dry the oral cavity
It is important that if you have xerostomia as a side effect of medication, you should not stop taking them. Speak to your GP who may be able to prescribe an alternative medicine for you in some cases.
Dry mouth problems
Although not a particularly pleasant sensation in itself, a dry mouth can cause more significant issues for your oral health. One of the most common of these is gum disease, where the gingiva becomes infected and uncomfortable and possibly inflamed. This can often be treated if caught early on but long term gum disease can be more serious. It may also cause issues with swallowing too, something which can present challenges, especially in old age.
As gum disease advances, it can affect the bone which the teeth are secured by. As these degrade, teeth may become loose and even fall out.
It isn’t just gum disease though. A healthy saliva flow ensures that bacteria and food particles are regularly washed away from the oral cavity (plus brushing and floss too of course). A reduced saliva flow means that bacteria may increase and food particles provide food for the bacteria which leads to them producing acids that can damage the tooth enamel. This can lead to tooth decay and even root canal infections that potentially require significant dental treatment.
Other problems that poor saliva flow can lead to include bad breath, change of taste and even the security of dentures if you wear them.
What can you do?
As mentioned earlier, talk to your GP if you are having a persistent dry mouth, whether through your medication or any other reason that you can’t identify. Cut down on your alcohol consumption and quit smoking altogether if you possibly can. Generally though, make sure to drink plenty of water (not soft drinks) and try chewing a sugar free gum as this can help to stimulate saliva production. You should also try to breathe through your nose more and you might find some over the counter solutions that may help too if you talk to your pharmacist.
How can we help?
Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic in Canterbury not only treats problems when they occur, but also offer preventative care too. This comes in the form of check up appointments to monitor your oral health and also dental hygienist treatments to help ensure that your gums stay healthy. The latter is something that you should do every six months if you don’t already do so. If you suffer from a regular dry mouth, our Canterbury hygienist may suggest that you have a scale and polish procedure every three months instead of six monthly as a preventative measure.
This is an area where professionals and patients can work together to improve oral health. A little bit of effort can sometimes make big changes, so a reduction in alcohol and smoking (if you can’t stop altogether) will be beneficial, especially if done alongside drinking more water etc. We can also help to ensure that any issues that start to arise due to xerostomia can be ‘nipped in the bud’ with prompt treatment.
If you would like to speak to a dentist about this problem and how it might be affecting your teeth and gums, we recommend that you call us to arrange an appointment. You can do this by calling the Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic today on 01227 463529. We are here to help!