Bay Shore NY Cosmetic Dentist Provides Insight on Xerostomia

A common occurrence and annoyance that many people are familiar with is dry mouth. While this may not seem like a true dental emergency, it can damage your oral health to a point where you can suffer from tooth decay. This is an oral issue that can easily be avoidable, but can plague unknowing patients who don’t know the risks of dry mouth. Thankfully, your Bay Shore NY cosmetic dentist wants to show patients the importance of treating dry mouth so prevention is simple.

Medically known as xerostomia, there are several reasons that people experience dry mouth. There are ways to treat it, but it’s important to address why you have dry mouth first.

· Cigarettes: The tobacco from cigarettes and other products work against your saliva glands to stop them from producing saliva.

· Side Effects of Medications: There are warnings for some medications that dry mouth is a side effect. These medications are usually decongestants, pain killers, high blood pressure, and others. If this side effect is extreme, discuss this issue with your doctor.

· Caffeine: Drinks with a large amount of caffeine like coffee, tea, and sodas can also cause dry mouth. If this is constantly consumed every day, it’ll not only dry out your mouth but will raise the risks of tooth decay.

Dry mouth has several symptoms that are easy to ignore because they’re not recognized as part of a dental emergency. When these symptoms arise and don’t go away after a short amount of time, that’s when it’s time to discuss with your dentist the seriousness of your dry mouth.

· Difficulty swallowing

· Uncomfortable feeling in your mouth

· Dry cracked lips

· Difficulty tasting foods and drinks

· Frequent bad breath

Thankfully, there are some ways to temporarily solve dry mouth. These tips also lessen the chances of dry mouth reoccurring over time.

· Drink water throughout the day to stimulate your saliva glands

· Chew sugar-free gum, which also helps fight against cavities and tooth decay

· Drink less caffeine and quit or limit use of tobacco procedure

· Use mouthwash that doesn’t contain alcohol, but does contain xylitol, which is also found in sugar-free gum that fights against tooth decay

Contact your Bay Shore NY cosmetic dentist to help fight against dry mouth by calling our office at (631) 665-8484 or click here to request an appointment.