Dry Mouth is seen when the Salivary Glands are not able to produce enough Saliva to keep the mouth wet or moist. This is also called as Xerostomia or Hypo-salivation, Mouth Dryness. It can be caused due to various factors one of the most common reasons is as a clinical sign of a systemic disease. Of the Systemic diseases, Diabetes tends to be the most common reason of Dry Mouth. Dry Mouth is in particular very uncomfortable to the patient and in the long term can lead to conditions like – Bad breath, Gingivitis, Dental Caries, etc.
Saliva has multiple functions apart from just helping in lubrication, it helps in initiating digestion and also plays a vital role in taste perception of the food you eat. All these factors invariably lead to decreased food intake in case of Dry Mouth which leads to Deficiencies and affects overall quality of life. Dry Mouth is commonly seen in High Blood Sugar levels and people with High Blood Pressure.
What are the Symptoms of Dry Mouth:
Dry mouth is experienced by healthy people as well when you have not taken water for a long time or when you are dehydrated, but in prolonged Dry Mouth the symptoms as are seen below.
- Dryness of mouth
- Roughness of tongue
- Bad breath
- Frequent ulcers or mouth sores
- Dryness of Lips with cracking
- Difficulty in chewing and swallowing
- Dental Caries
- Saliva or Spit is Thick, stringy and thick
So with the lack of Saliva the various functions it does such as helping in breaking down food for easy digestion, helps in promoting good bacteria and reducing harmful bacteria in the Oral cavity, cleaning the teeth surface of food and sticky substances preventing Decay. With decrease in saliva and the above functions not happening there are high chances of Decay in teeth, Gingivitis, Periodontitis, Oral Thrush in severe cases, etc.
Apart from Diabetes the other Reasons for Xerostomia or Dry Mouth are –
- Salivary Gland diseases
- Mouth Breathing – Day or night
- Smoking
- Dehydration
- Certain Diseases like Sjogrens syndrome, Auto immune diseases, fibrosis, bacterial infections
- Side Effects of Medications is also one of the major causes of Xerostomia.
- Dialysis for Kidney Disease
Treatment for Dry Mouth for Diabetes:
The only treatment option for Dry Mouth due to Diabetes is to treat the underlying cause, which is to keep the Sugar Levels under control.
There are certain Saliva Substitutes also known as Artificial Saliva to reduce the symptoms of Dry mouth. Salivary Substitutes are available in the form of Tablets, Mouthwashes, Sprays, Gels, Lozenges, etc.
Maintaining healthy diet of Fruits and Vegetables, keeping sugar levels under control and avoiding food items which can induce Dry mouth like Caffeine, Spicy food, using fluoride containing toothpaste (prevent decay).
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