Dry mouth is a disorder that develops due to many different reasons and is very common today. Low saliva due to dry mouth causes serious problems. Saliva is the most important and natural cleaning mechanism that protects our teeth from gum diseases and tooth decay. However, since the consumption of carbohydrates and acidic foods has increased so much in today's societies, saliva alone cannot protect against gum diseases and cavities. For this reason, it is necessary to perform oral care procedures such as brushing teeth and using dental floss.
Dry mouth brings with it many problems along with the decrease in saliva. Patients experience complaints such as a burning sensation in the tongue, inability to chew dry foods, and difficulty in tasting. The patient often feels thirsty. Disorders such as bad breath, cracks in the lips, and even difficulty in speaking may occur.
There are many reasons for dry mouth. We can briefly list the most common causes as follows.
1-Due to nasal congestion, people sleep with their mouths open. This situation causes the inside of the mouth to not be moistened sufficiently.
2-Systemic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS may cause dry mouth.
3-Cancers such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The methods used in the treatment may cause a decrease in saliva.
4-Some medications may have side effects. These are antihistamines, nasal decongestants, painkillers, diuretics, blood pressure and depression medications. More than 400 drugs cause the glands called salivary glands, which produce saliva, to not work properly, thus causing dry mouth.
5-During menopause, permanent dry mouth may occur due to changes in women's hormone levels.
6-The last but most common is dry mouth, which occurs as a result of the decrease in the amount of saliva as a result of consumption of cigarettes, pipes, cigars, caffeine and alcohol.
How is dry mouth treated?
First of all, The disease is diagnosed and treatment is applied according to the cause. The only permanent way to treat dry mouth is to eliminate the cause. It is specially designed to drink water frequently and relieve dry mouth. Using prepared mouthwashes may provide relief. Your dentist may also recommend mouth moisturizers such as artificial saliva. You can chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free hard candies to stimulate saliva flow.
Read: 0
