How can I manage chronic dry mouth (xerostomia)

Saliva—you need a good flow of it more than you may realize. It plays a key role in your overall health, it serves as the mouth’s natural cleansing agent, and it’s essential for tasting and digestion.

Xerostomia, or dry mouth, is a common but sometimes overlooked condition where someone doesn’t produce enough saliva. It’s a discomfort for sure and can also lead to bad breath, dental disease, and more. Here are six reasons for dry mouth.

1. Medications
There are several medications that have the potential to cause dry mouth.
Including, antidepressants and antianxiety drugs, blood pressure meds, antihistamines and decongestants, some analgesics, antidiarrheal medications, muscle relaxants, and drugs that treat urinary incontinence and Parkinson's disease.

2. Stress and anxiety
Anxiety can contribute to dry mouth by causing increased mouth breathing and acid backup; as well, antianxiety medications are among those most associated with dry mouth.
Stress and anxiety are also associated with jaw clenching and grinding. This can happen while you’re awake or asleep. Unfortunately, grinding can be destructive to oral health especially when it occurs with dry mouth.

3. Various health conditions
There are many medical reasons for dry mouth. These include Alzheimer’s dementia, diabetes, and Sjogren’s disease, an autoimmune disorder. Many of the medications used to treat some of these diseases also cause dry mouth, compounding the problem.

4. Drinking and using tobacco
Drinking and smoking are common causes of dry mouth, even if you’re not actually doing either at the moment your mouth feels dry. Alcohol is a diuretic (has a dehydrating effect); cigarettes and other products that contain tobacco can cause dry mouth because they slow down the body’s ability to produce saliva.

5. Age
Almost one-third of older adults deal with dry mouth—the most common reason being that many older people take a medication that contributes to dry mouth.

6. Other general causes
There are causes of dry mouth that aren’t due to underlying disease, age, or medication. These include not drinking enough, hot weather, and sleeping with your mouth open.

Getting help
If you’re suffering from dry mouth, treating it should start with knowing why you have it. Talk to Dr. Scott Pettinato so he can help you find relief.