Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a condition often seen in patients. It may seem as though dry mouth is not something to be concerned about. However, dry mouth can have a negative impact on your oral health. What causes dry mouth? *Dry mouth is often a side effect of medications. If a patient is taking multiple medications and dry mouth is a side effect in multiple medications they are taking, this can increase the dryness. *Chemotherapy and/or radiation in the head/neck *Autoimmune or other chronic diseases. Reduced salivary flow can cause difficulty with swallowing, chewing, and tasting. It also plays a big role in increased decay. Saliva helps to neutralized the acidity levels in our mouth and wash away food particles. If saliva is reduced, it can not do its job properly. If you experience dry mouth, it is recommended that you use a fluoride product. There are over the counter fluoride products such as ACT rinse. This would be used at night after brushing and flossing. Our office also sells a fluoride toothpaste that is 4x stronger than the average toothpaste. Please feel free to stop buy and purchase some at your leisure. No appointment is needed. We also offer xylimelts that are a sugar-free lozenge to allow to melt in your mouth increasing saliva production and protect against cavities. Again, no appointment is needed to purchase. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about this at your next dental appointment.