Dry mouth feels minor, but saliva does a lot of quiet work protecting your teeth, and a lasting lack of it can lead to rapid decay and gum problems. Here is why it happens and how to get relief.
Saliva washes away food, neutralises acid, and carries the minerals that repair early enamel damage. When it dries up, acids sit on your teeth for longer and decay can take hold surprisingly fast. That is why dry mouth is more than just an uncomfortable feeling.
The most common cause is medication; hundreds of them list dry mouth as a side effect, including tablets for blood pressure, allergies, depression and pain. Other causes include dehydration, mouth breathing and snoring, caffeine and alcohol, smoking, some medical conditions, and radiotherapy to the head or neck. Ageing itself does not cause dry mouth, but the medications that become more common with age often do.
Sip water regularly and keep some by the bed, chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva, and try a saliva-substitute spray or gel if you need one. Cut back on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, and breathe through your nose where you can. Sugar-free products sweetened with xylitol are a smart choice because they boost saliva without feeding decay.
Because dry mouth raises decay risk, use a fluoride toothpaste, consider a high-fluoride option we can prescribe, and keep up regular check-ups and cleans so any early decay is caught quickly. Do not stop any prescribed medication without talking to your doctor; instead, tell us so we can manage the risk.
If dry mouth is persistent, see us to protect your teeth and your GP to review whether a medication could be adjusted. Together it is very manageable.
Saliva neutralises acid, washes away food and repairs early enamel damage. Without enough of it, acids linger on the teeth and decay can develop quickly, so dry mouth noticeably raises your risk.
Medication is the most common cause; hundreds of drugs, including those for blood pressure, allergies, depression and pain, list dry mouth as a side effect. Dehydration, caffeine, alcohol and smoking also contribute.
Sip water often, chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva, and use a saliva-substitute spray or gel. Cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, and breathing through your nose, all help too.
No, never stop a prescribed medication without medical advice. Tell your dentist so we can protect your teeth, and ask your GP whether the medication or dose could be reviewed.