What causes a dry mouth?
Everyone's mouth goes dry now and then. A mouth that stays dry most of the day is different, and there is usually a reason for it.
It becomes more common with age, mostly because older adults tend to take more medications, but it is not a normal part of getting older. The usual causes:
- Medications, one of the most common causes. Many everyday medicines reduce saliva, including some for allergies, blood pressure, depression, anxiety, pain and an overactive bladder, and the effect adds up when you take several.
- Breathing through your mouth, especially at night. A blocked nose, allergies or snoring can leave you waking with a parched mouth.
- Not drinking enough water, or a lot of coffee, soda or alcohol.
- Tobacco, smoked or chewed.
- Some medical conditions, including diabetes and Sjögren's syndrome, which also dries the eyes.
- Radiation treatment to the head and neck, and some cancer medicines.
Why does a dry mouth cause cavities?
Saliva does more work than most people realize. It rinses food off the teeth, neutralizes the acid that bacteria make after you eat, and carries minerals that repair the earliest weak spots in the enamel. With less of it, acid stays on the teeth longer and the repair work falls behind.
So decay turns up in places it usually does not: along the gum line, around the edges of old fillings and crowns, and on root surfaces exposed by receding gums, which are softer than enamel.
Other things get harder too. Gums get sore more easily, bad breath is more likely, and a denture is harder to wear, because it relies on a thin film of saliva to sit comfortably.
What helps a dry mouth?
None of these cures the cause, but together they make a real difference:
- Sip water through the day, and keep a glass by the bed.
- Chew sugar-free gum or suck sugar-free mints to get saliva flowing. Look for ones sweetened with xylitol.
- Try a saliva substitute, or a moisturizing spray or gel for dry mouth from the pharmacy.
- Run a humidifier in the bedroom if you wake up dry.
- Choose an alcohol-free mouthwash, since alcohol dries the mouth further.
- Keep sugary drinks and snacks to mealtimes. With less saliva, sugar sits on the teeth longer.
- Take sips of water with meals, and choose moist foods if dry ones are hard to swallow.
How to protect your teeth with a dry mouth
Fluoride helps enamel rebuild after each acid attack, which is part of the job saliva is no longer doing as well. Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, then spit out the extra rather than rinsing, so some stays on the teeth.
At your visits, a fluoride varnish painted onto the teeth gives them a much stronger dose than toothpaste can. For some people with a very dry mouth, a higher-strength fluoride toothpaste for use at home is worth discussing, and we will tell you whether it makes sense for you.
Regular cleanings and exams matter more than usual, because decay in a dry mouth is far easier to deal with while it is small. At a visit to the office in Pearisburg, tell us which medicines you take, since the list helps explain what we see.
When to mention it to your physician
If your mouth is dry most of the time, tell your physician, and bring a list of everything you take, including supplements and medicines bought without a prescription. Sometimes a dose can be adjusted, or another medicine does the same job with less dryness. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own.
Raise it sooner if the dryness came with other changes, such as dry, gritty eyes, unusual thirst, or needing to urinate more often. Those can point to a condition your physician will want to check.
When should you see a dentist about dry mouth?
A dry mouth on its own is not an emergency. A painful swelling under the jaw or in front of the ear, with a fever or a bad taste, can mean an infected salivary gland, so call us or your physician promptly. Swelling that is closing an eye or spreading down the neck, or sudden difficulty breathing or swallowing, needs an emergency room.
Otherwise, call and arrange a visit if:
- Your mouth feels dry most days, and it is not getting better.
- You have new cavities, or teeth that have suddenly turned sensitive.
- Your gums are sore, or there are sores or white patches in your mouth. Any sore that has not healed in two weeks is worth showing us.
- A denture has started to rub, or will not stay in place.
Questions patients ask
Can medications cause dry mouth?
Yes, many can, and taking several together makes it more likely. Talk to your physician rather than stopping anything yourself, because a different dose or a different medicine sometimes helps.
What helps dry mouth at night?
Keep water by the bed, run a humidifier, and try a moisturizing gel made for dry mouth. If you breathe through your mouth or snore, that may be what is drying it out, and it is worth mentioning to your physician.
Is dry mouth bad for dentures?
It can make a denture less comfortable and harder to keep in place, and dry gums get sore more easily underneath it. Tell us if yours has started to rub or slip, because the fit may need checking as well.
Does mouthwash help a dry mouth?
Only the right kind. Mouthwash containing alcohol can dry the mouth further, so choose one that is alcohol-free, or a rinse made for dry mouth. A rinse adds to brushing with fluoride toothpaste but does not replace it.