Your mouth is dry so drink water. Everyone drys mouth. That is the way to tell you that your body needs more water. Temporarily dried mouth is normal. On the other hand, chronic dry mouth which does not disappear after drinking water or other type of beverage is not normal, not good for teeth.
Your mouth moisturizes the saliva naturally. Saliva washes, flushes the mouth of the food and drinks the particles that came between the teeth.
What is xerostomia?
Xerostomia is a dental / medical term for chronic xerostomia. It is when the salivary glands are not appropriate and do not produce enough saliva. Mouth dryness is a serious condition of oral hygiene that develops in the event of severe tooth problems (such as caries and gum diseases).
Patients whose mouth is dry do not produce enough saliva to clean the mouth properly or completely. Saliva is a natural mouthwash for the body as mentioned earlier.
Without proper saliva, food and sugar particles from food and drinks consumed during the day will stay in the mouth, usually between the teeth. Particles collapse and collapse. Over time, a layer of offset food particles accumulates and a film called plaque is created. Without saliva to wash it, plaque can harden to calculus which can be removed only by a dentist.
Twice a day brushing and flossing helps to slow the growth of plaque and tartar, but it is not enough to stop it unless you add saliva. Saliva rinses mouth during the day when toothbrush, toothpaste or dental floss can not be accessed.
Symptoms of xerostomia
Symptoms of chronic dry mouth are slightly different from thirst, cotton mouth. Symptoms of xerostomia are more extreme and include the following:
- Feeling sticky and dry in the mouth and throat
- Difficulty of chewing, swallowing, tasting, talking
- Burning sensation in mouth
- Dry tongue
- Cracked, torn lips
- Inflamed gum
- Frequent caries
- Scratches in the mouth
- Bad breath (halitosis)
There are various causes for xerostomia. The most common causes of this are:
- Inappropriately operating salivary glands
- Nervousness
- Stress
- Aging
- Radiation therapy and chemotherapy
- Sjogren's syndrome
- Smoking
- Medicine
- Drug
Having this is uncomfortable and can cause significant caries and gum disease unless treated. Sometimes it is a natural indicator to drink more water when dry and chronically consistent mouth dryness is a dental health condition that you need to talk with your dentist.
