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| What is Dry Mouth? |
What is Dry Mouth?
Dry Mouth or Xerostomia is not a disease in itself, but
can be a symptom of certain diseases.
It can negatively affect a patient's quality of life-impacting
on eating habits, nutritional health, speech, taste,
tolerance to dental prosthesis (such as dentures) and can
increase the likelihood of dental decay.
What are the causes of Dry Mouth?
Dry Mouth can result from a number of causes, such as
the use of certain drugs (such as anti-hypertensives,
tricyclic anti-depressants, analgesics, tranquilizers,
diuretics and anti-histamines); inflammatory conditions
such as Mumps, TB, Sarcoidosis and Sjögren's
Syndrome; obstructions such as salivary stones;
conditions such as dehydration, diabetes, cardiac and
renal failure, toxic goitre, menopause and senility;
nutritional causes such as Vitamin A and iron deficiency;
cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and
radiotherapy; and psychiatric causes.
What can be done to relieve Dry Mouth?
The lack of saliva can have a profound effect on the
mouth and the teeth.
There are a number of things you can do to relieve the
symptoms:
You can also make dietary changes to help the condition
- blended and mixed foods are easier to swallow.
Eat hard cheeses instead of soft cheeses and use
sucralose in place of sugar. Avoid spicy, hard crunchy or
dry foods. Take small bites and eat slowly. Pineapple
has an enzyme that helps clean the mouth.
Drugs such as pilocarpine or cevimeline are sometimes
prescribed but these drugs have many side effects that
many people can not tolerate.
Useful Websites:
Biotène products available from www.biotene.co.uk
Aquoral products available from www.aquoral.com
British Sjögren's Syndrome Society
Sjögren's Syndrome Online Community
Oral Cancer Foundation
Challacombe Scale
Useful Articles:
American Dental Association - Dry Mouth
Eastman Dental Institute, Oral Medicine Clinic - Dry
Mouth - 10 steps towards managing a dry mouth
Eastman Dental Institute, Oral Medicine Clinic - Dry
Mouth Patient Information Sheet
NIAMS, National Institutes of Health Public Health Service
& U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Questions & Answers about Sjögren’s Syndrome
Oral Diseases 2002. Current Issues in Sjoegren’s
Syndrome
Oral Diseases 2002. Drug Effects on Salivary Glands -
Dry Mouth
Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2004.
An update of the ætiology and management of xerostomia
JADA 2007. For The Dental Patient...Oral Moisturizers.
Products that can help relieve Dry Mouth
Vital, Spring 2009, Managing Xerostomia
Dry Mouth or Xerostomia is not a disease in itself, but
can be a symptom of certain diseases.
It can negatively affect a patient's quality of life-impacting
on eating habits, nutritional health, speech, taste,
tolerance to dental prosthesis (such as dentures) and can
increase the likelihood of dental decay.
What are the causes of Dry Mouth?
Dry Mouth can result from a number of causes, such as
the use of certain drugs (such as anti-hypertensives,
tricyclic anti-depressants, analgesics, tranquilizers,
diuretics and anti-histamines); inflammatory conditions
such as Mumps, TB, Sarcoidosis and Sjögren's
Syndrome; obstructions such as salivary stones;
conditions such as dehydration, diabetes, cardiac and
renal failure, toxic goitre, menopause and senility;
nutritional causes such as Vitamin A and iron deficiency;
cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and
radiotherapy; and psychiatric causes.
What can be done to relieve Dry Mouth?
The lack of saliva can have a profound effect on the
mouth and the teeth.
There are a number of things you can do to relieve the
symptoms:
- Sip / drink water frequently.
- Stimulate saliva with sugar-free gum (such as
Xylitol), diabetic sweets, Salivix or SST if advised. - Keep your mouth clean, paying special attention to
the teeth. - Use an artificial saliva (Artificial Saliva, Glandosane,
Luborant) or saliva substitute (such as Orthana or
Oral Balance-Biotène). - Use an antiseptic mouthwash (such as Corsodyl or
Biotène). - Avoid alcohol-based mouth rinses.
- Spray a water and glycerine solution into your mouth,
mixed in a small aerosol bottle. - Always take water or non-alcoholic drinks with meals.
- Avoid anything that worsens the dryness, such as
certain drugs (see above), alcohol, smoking, caffeine
and mouth-breathing. - Protect against dental decay by using a Fluoride
mouth rinses / gels (such as Fluorigard), regular
dental checks, avoiding sugary foods / drinks and
sticky food. - Protect against Thrush & Halitosis by your mouth
very clean and moist, rinsing twice daily with
chlorhexidine (Corsodyl, Chlorhex or Eludril) or
Triclosan (Plax), brushing or scraping of tongue,
keeping dentures out at night and soaked in
hypochlorite (eg Miltons or Dentural) and use of anti-
fungals (if prescribed by your clinician). - Protect the lips with a lip salve or petroleum jelly (eg
Vaseline). - Consider a dehumidifier in the room.
You can also make dietary changes to help the condition
- blended and mixed foods are easier to swallow.
Eat hard cheeses instead of soft cheeses and use
sucralose in place of sugar. Avoid spicy, hard crunchy or
dry foods. Take small bites and eat slowly. Pineapple
has an enzyme that helps clean the mouth.
Drugs such as pilocarpine or cevimeline are sometimes
prescribed but these drugs have many side effects that
many people can not tolerate.
Useful Websites:
Biotène products available from www.biotene.co.uk
Aquoral products available from www.aquoral.com
British Sjögren's Syndrome Society
Sjögren's Syndrome Online Community
Oral Cancer Foundation
Challacombe Scale
Useful Articles:
American Dental Association - Dry Mouth
Eastman Dental Institute, Oral Medicine Clinic - Dry
Mouth - 10 steps towards managing a dry mouth
Eastman Dental Institute, Oral Medicine Clinic - Dry
Mouth Patient Information Sheet
NIAMS, National Institutes of Health Public Health Service
& U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Questions & Answers about Sjögren’s Syndrome
Oral Diseases 2002. Current Issues in Sjoegren’s
Syndrome
Oral Diseases 2002. Drug Effects on Salivary Glands -
Dry Mouth
Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2004.
An update of the ætiology and management of xerostomia
JADA 2007. For The Dental Patient...Oral Moisturizers.
Products that can help relieve Dry Mouth
Vital, Spring 2009, Managing Xerostomia
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| Last Updated 25th April 2012 |
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