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Does Poor Oral Health Lead to Dry Mouth? |
Posted on 8/24/2020 by Dr. VanBrunt |
| Dry mouth can happen for a number of reasons. Poor oral health can bring on the symptoms of dry mouth, especially if a person smokes, chews tobacco, or drinks to excess. If you have been diagnosed with dry mouth, you can experience tooth decay and gingivitis more frequently, as the mouth needs a healthy flow of saliva to prevent the formation of cavities or gum disease. If you do not brush or floss daily, you can only exacerbate the problem. What Are the Symptoms of Dry Mouth? Obviously, the major symptom of dry mouth is a dry mouth. Patients may also experience a tingling sensation when they eat or have problems with tasting food. Therefore, a program of good oral hygiene is imperative if you want to reduce or eliminate the symptoms. Also, to promote the flow of saliva, you can chew sugarless gum or chew on a food, such as a dill pickle. Sipping water or an herbal tea also helps the condition. Sweeten the tea with a natural sweetener, such as Xylitol, which has been shown to prevent tooth decay. Reversing the Symptoms You can reverse the symptoms of dry mouth by taking good care of your teeth, seeing our office at the recommended intervals, or after you stop treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Dry mouth gradually subsides after these therapies are discontinued. You can also reverse dry mouth symptoms by modifying the dosage of some medicines. Medications taken for the heart or to treat infections or allergies can trigger dry mouth symptoms. Therefore, you may want to ask your doctor to alter the dose or to substitute the medication for another drug. If you are experiencing dry mouth currently, we are here to help. Once we find out the origin, we can develop the proper treatment plan. Give us a call today for an examination and a cleaning.... Read more... |
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