Redmond Molloy Dentists Explain problems of Dry Mouth
Posted on Wed, May 12, 2010 @ 08:38 AM
Xerostomia is also called dry mouth, it is associated with having less saliva in your mouth and more common in the over 50's. It is usually a symptom of a disease or a side effect of medication rather than a disease in itself. Dentists are concerned by dry mouth because it can have a negative effect on a patient's quality of life. Commonly these include increase in dental decay, difficulty in wearing dentures, decrease in taste, difficulty in speech and changes in diet to counteract the dry mouth which in turn lead to reduced nutrition and increase in sugar intake.
Dentists know that there are many many medications that can have dry mouth as a side effect these include certain anti-depressants, antihistamines, antacids also certain Parkinson's disease medicines when these medicines are combined the effects can get worse. It may be possible to change your medication to one that has the same therapeutic effect but not a dry mouth side effect.
Other causes include Cancer therapy, nerve damage, inflammation of the salivary glands, tumours of the glands, dehydration, and various medical conditions such as stroke, Sjorgrens syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Other factors include mouth breathing and smoking- nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and can lead to a decrease in salivary function via the minor salivary glands. Older patients are often fed foods that require minimal chewing which leads to decreased salivary output.
Dentists know that on average a healthy adult produces three pints of saliva per day, its functions are to cleanse and protect the mouth, teeth and throat variously from decay and infection from bacteria, yeasts and viruses. Lubricate food, it helps with speech, supports the sense of taste and initiates the digestion of food.
Signs of dry mouth may result in; Saliva that is thick and stringy,sores at the corner of the mouth, inflamed tissues in the mouth, bad breath, difficulty with swallowing and speech, burning mouth and altered taste.
Management of dry mouth generally falls under the remit of the sum of all the small things leads to a general improvement. Number one on the list is an excellent oral hygiene regime. You should try and avoid Tobacco, Alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, foods with high sugar content, spicy and very hot foods and excessively acidic foods. Saliva substitutes can be used when there is no function of the gland. Fluoride substitutes can decrease the chance of dental disease, use of a tooth paste without preservative can lead to less irritation of the tissues, alcohol free mouth washes are also advised. Also sugar free sweets when trying to stimulate the saliva flow and water instead of sugary drinks when wetting the mouth.
In conclusion it can very hard to eliminate dry mouth totally but an easing of the symptoms can lead to a dramatic improvement in the quality of life for the sufferer. The easiest solution is to book an appointment to view your options: Dental Appointment