Don't suffer silently with dry mouth
We all have a dry mouth once in a while. But having dry mouth all the time is not normal.
Dry mouth is more than annoying. It can also lead to health problems. That's because saliva does more than just help you digest your food. It helps prevent gum disease and tooth decay.
Lots of things can cause dry mouth. It's a common side effect of some prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
Dr. John Swartzberg at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter says don't suffer silently.
"Check with your pharmacist or doctor. There may be equivalent drugs you can take that will give you the same benefit but without the side effect of the dry mouth."
Some disease and medical treatments can also cause dry mouth.
If you use mouthwash, find one that doesn't contain alcohol. Alcohol tends to dry the mouth. Avoid salty foods. And make sure you stay well hydrated.
"The more fluids you have in your body the more saliva you're going to make," Swartzberg says.
Chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless candy will help you produce more saliva.
Final tip: if you have dry mouth you need to brush and floss even more than normally recommended.
For more information
National Institutes of Health
MayoClinic
MedicineNet
WebMD
Dry mouth is more than annoying. It can also lead to health problems. That's because saliva does more than just help you digest your food. It helps prevent gum disease and tooth decay.
Lots of things can cause dry mouth. It's a common side effect of some prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
Dr. John Swartzberg at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter says don't suffer silently.
"Check with your pharmacist or doctor. There may be equivalent drugs you can take that will give you the same benefit but without the side effect of the dry mouth."
Some disease and medical treatments can also cause dry mouth.
If you use mouthwash, find one that doesn't contain alcohol. Alcohol tends to dry the mouth. Avoid salty foods. And make sure you stay well hydrated.
"The more fluids you have in your body the more saliva you're going to make," Swartzberg says.
Chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless candy will help you produce more saliva.
Final tip: if you have dry mouth you need to brush and floss even more than normally recommended.
For more information
National Institutes of Health
MayoClinic
MedicineNet
WebMD