Dentistry isn’t just about healthy and beautiful teeth – it’s about the health of your mouth overall, and making sure that you don’t have any issues that disrupt your quality of life. Having a constantly dry mouth may be one of these issues. A dry mouth is annoying, but it can also be bad for your teeth and indicate that you have a more serious health problem.
What causes dry mouth?
There may be a few reasons why you have a dry mouth. It can be the result of using tobacco products or drinking alcohol. It can be a side effect of medication or a medical treatment, such as cancer therapy. It may be just a part of aging, or it can indicate a serious problem such as nerve damage or an autoimmune disorder.
Having a dry mouth much of the time can cause problems for your oral health, can keep you from enjoying eating, and can even affect your general health, if the problem keeps you from eating. Saliva serves a very important purpose – it washes bacteria, acid, and food particles off of your teeth to help prevent tooth decay. It also helps you to digest your food.
Dry mouth can also cause a dry, sore throat and dry tongue, bad breath, and problems with chewing and swallowing. It can also be unpleasant to live with!
How is dry mouth treated?
You should let your dentist know if your mouth is often dry. He or she will want to take special precautions to protect your teeth from the decay that dry mouth can cause, such as providing you with fluoride trays or a mouthwash for extra protection. Or, you may be prescribed a special mouthwash that can help prevent dry mouth.
You should also mention dry mouth to your doctor, if you think it might be caused by a new medication. Your doctor may want to test for an underlying medical condition that is causing your dry mouth.
Whether your issue is a sore tooth or dry mouth, your dentist wants to help! Contact Lerner & Lemongello, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for an appointment. Call (561) 627-9000 today!