Brush with a fluoride toothpaste Counteract the cavity-forming effect of dry mouth by brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
increase your fluid intake – take regular sips of cold water or an unsweetened drink. suck on sugar-free sweets or chew sugar-free gum – this can stimulate your salivary glands to produce more saliva. suck on ice cubes – the ice will melt slowly and moisten your mouth.
If you're prone to symptoms of dry mouth or are taking a medication that causes dry mouth, then it's best to avoid brushing your teeth with a toothpaste containing too much Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). The ingredient is optimal for gum health; however, it can dry out the mouth and lead to canker sores.
You can recommend brushing with Colgate PreviDent 5000 Dry Mouth prescription strength toothpaste, which is formulated to appeal to dry mouth sufferers.
If you have severe dry mouth, your doctor or dentist may: Prescribe medication that stimulates saliva. Your doctor may prescribe pilocarpine (Salagen) or cevimeline (Evoxac) to stimulate saliva production.
Dry mouth can be due to certain health conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, yeast infection (thrush) in your mouth or Alzheimer's disease, or due to autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren's syndrome or HIV/AIDS. Snoring and breathing with your mouth open also can contribute to dry mouth. Tobacco and alcohol use.
Avoid whitening, tartar control, or smokers toothpastes since these contain abrasives. For the first 30 seconds, use the dry brush and brush the lingual (inside) surface of your teeth, then moisten toothbrush and apply a dry mouth toothpaste (e.g. Biotene, Pronamel, CloSYS, Orajel, Sensodyne) and brush for 1.5 minutes.
Biotene is the best toothpaste of choice for people with soft tissue disorders that make the inside of the mouth burn or tingle. This includes burning mouth syndrome, lichen planus, dry mouth, geographic tongue, and others. Biotene is safe for anyone to use at any time.
Davids toothpaste includes glycerin which is a humectant designed to moisten your mouth and also works to activate your saliva glands to help reduce dry mouth. Davids toothpaste also includes birch xylitol which works as a natural sweetener, but also works to stimulate natural saliva production.
Dentists say it's good to let the fluoridated toothpaste set in your teeth for a few minutes regardless if you do decide you want to rinse with water or not. While rinsing doesn't harm you, it prevents the toothpaste from working to its best ability.
Try a mouthwash designed for dry mouth — especially one that contains xylitol, if you're not sensitive to it, such as Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse, bioXtra Dry Mouth Ultra Mild Mouthrinse or ACT Dry Mouth Mouthwash.
One of the little-known culprits of dry mouth is a nutritional deficiency. One study found that 50 out of 67 people with xerostomia were also deficient in certain nutrients, including protein, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals.
Dry mouth is a common clinical problem, and different products have been proposed to improve it. Making products such as mouthwash or lozenges using yogurt can help to reduce dry mouth.
Causes of a dry mouth
dehydration – for example, from not drinking enough, sweating a lot or being ill. medicines – check the leaflet that comes with your medicine to see if dry mouth is a side effect. breathing through your mouth at night – this can happen if you have a blocked nose or you sleep with your mouth open.
While there are certain over the counter (OTC) options for treating dry mouth, honey is a great natural way to restore moisture and hydration in the mouth. In fact, its use in xerostomia is evidence-backed by a controlled trial in head and neck cancer patients.
Drinking water will keep you hydrated and stave off the worst of your dry mouth symptoms while brushing and flossing your teeth will help prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Next, consider the humidity in your home, particularly in your bedroom.
Dry mouth can happen to anyone occasionally—for example, when nervous or stressed. However, when dry mouth persists, it can make chewing, swallowing, and even talking difficult. Dry mouth also increases the risk for tooth decay or fungal infections in the mouth because saliva helps keep harmful germs in check.
Xerostomia is a symptom, not a disease entity, and can be temporary, reversible, or permanent.
It is important to know that dry mouth is not part of the aging process itself. However, many older adults take medications that can dry out the mouth, and taking more than one of these can make dry mouth even worse.