No one wants to go through life feeling like they’ve just eaten a meal comprised of sand. However, when you are dealing with a severe case of dry mouth, that may be exactly what you feel like. Dry cheeks, dry tongue, dry roof-of-the-mouth, dry gums and dry throat are all common complaints of patients with xerostomia (the clinical name for dry mouth). Bad breath is one of the worst symptoms in terms of quality of life and social interactions. will tell you more about dry mouth, so that you can take action if you’ve become a victim of this irritating condition.
Causes of Dry Mouth
Xerostomia may be the technical name for this plight, but dry mouth is certainly a more accurate description. You have many salivary glands in your mouth. When you fail to produce appropriate amounts of lubrication (better known as saliva) in your mouth, you may have chronic dry mouth. There are a number of potential causes for a deficiency in salivary gland production. Among them are:
- Hormonal changes from puberty, pregnancy, or menopause
- Snoring, sleep apnea, and open-mouthed breathing
- Stress
- Medication side effects
- HIV/AIDS
- Chemotherapy
- Diabetes
Conquering Dry Mouth
No one is immune to an occasional temporary bout with dry mouth. However, this should never be a chronic problem that you deal with for days, weeks, months, or years on end. If you find that you do have a notably parched mouth more often than not, you should definitely mention this to your dentist at your next checkup. Dry mouth can actually lead to higher levels of tooth decay. Your saliva helps to rinse food particles from your mouth. This neutralizes much of the acids that are produced from a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates. Furthermore, if you experience sores in your mouth, split or cracked skin in the corners of your lips, a burning or tingling sensation in your mouth, a red or raw tongue, hoarseness, sore throat, or halitosis, you are really risking long term damage from dry mouth. Simple remedies such as extra hydration, chewing sugar-free gum, avoiding certain foods, prescription mouthwash, and/or sleeping with a humidifier are all potentially quite helpful for patients diagnosed with xerostomia.
Visit your Park Ridge Dentists
Do you experience frequent jaw pain? Do you suspect that you might have TMD? Contact your Park Ridge dentists, Dr. Maria or Thanasi Loukas, today to schedule an appointment or a consultation by calling our 60068 dental office at (847) 696-1919 and take the first step toward relief. We proudly serve patients from Park Ridge and the surrounding Chicago communities.