Dry mouth occurs when your salivary glands
don’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. Saliva might seem
like just “spit” but it is actually an essential fluid that plays many
roles in keeping your mouth, teeth and digestive system healthy.
Causes of Dry Mouth
There are many reasons why someone might experience dry mouth:
- Medications: Many common medications can reduce saliva production, including antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, blood pressure medications and muscle relaxants.
- Radiation Therapy: Radiation treatment, especially for cancers of the head and neck, can damage salivary glands, leading to permanent dry mouth.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy drugs can alter the nature of saliva and cause dry mouth as a side effect.
- Sjogren’s Syndrome: This autoimmune condition attacks salivary and tear glands, significantly reducing saliva flow.
- Dehydration: Not drinking enough water or losing fluids due to illness, can dry out your mouth.
- Diet: Eating too many sugary foods, candies, lollipops or drinking sugary beverages can dry the mouth and promote decay.
- Mouth Breathing: People who breathe through their mouth, especially while sleeping, often wake up with a dry, sticky feeling in their mouth.
What Is Saliva?
Saliva is a clear, slightly viscous fluid produced by the salivary glands. A healthy adult produces about 0.5 to 1.5 liters of saliva each day, although production naturally decreases at night, which is why brushing your teeth before bed is crucial to prevent cavities.
Saliva’s Roles:
- Digestion: It begins the digestive process with enzymes like amylase, which breaks down starches into sugars.
- Lubrication: Saliva helps form the food bolus, making it easier to swallow.
- Antibacterial Properties: Saliva contains lysozyme, lactoferrin, and peroxidase, which help fight harmful bacteria.
- Protects Teeth: It neutralizes acids, helps remineralize enamel and washes away food particles.
- Freshens Breath: It helps reduce halitosis (bad breath) by keeping bacterial growth under control.
Interesting Facts About Saliva:
- Saliva is 99% water, but that 1% contains essential proteins, enzymes, and electrolytes.
- Saliva helps us taste by dissolving food particles and carrying them to taste receptors.
- Saliva even contains hormones, including cortisol and melatonin, which can reflect stress and sleep cycles.
Effects of Reduced Saliva Flow
When saliva flow drops:
- Risk of tooth decay and gum disease increases.
- Food becomes harder to chew and swallow.
- Mouth tissues can become red, swollen and more prone to bleeding, especially in mouth breathers.
- Candidiasis (oral thrush) can occur due to fungal overgrowth.
Medical Conditions That Affect Saliva Production
Some conditions that impact saliva production include:
How to Manage Dry Mouth
Although dry mouth can be challenging, there are ways to manage it:
- Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
- Saliva Substitutes: Over-the-counter mouth sprays, gels and lozenges can help.
- Chewing Sugar-Free Gum: Stimulates natural saliva production.
- Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine: These can worsen dryness.
- Humidifiers: Using one at night can keep the air moist, helping mouth breathers.
- Consult Your Dentist or Doctor: Especially if medications or health conditions are contributing.
In some cases, prescription medications such as Pilocarpine or Cevimeline can be used to stimulate saliva production if approved by your healthcare provider.
Conclusion
Saliva might not get much attention, but
it is vital to our oral and overall health. If you are experiencing dry
mouth, understanding the cause and taking proactive steps can protect
your teeth, gums and quality of life. Don’t ignore it, speak to your
dentist to find the best solution for you.