5 Ways to Reduce Your Dry Mouth
If you are struggling with the irritating feeling that you can’t quite quench your thirst, you may have dry mouth. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a common condition affecting millions of people. While it’s normally just a minor nuisance, chronic dry mouth can impact your oral health or make daily tasks like eating and speaking more difficult. Today, we wanted to discuss ways you can reduce your dry mouth.
We also wanted to remind you that if you are having trouble kicking this chronic problem, we’d love to help. Increasing your saliva production helps your oral health by washing away food debris and protecting teeth from decay. So, be sure to schedule a visit!
Here are some useful tips on reducing your dry mouth at home:
Stay Hydrated
This may seem obvious, but upping your water intake is one of the easiest ways to address mouth dryness. Eight glasses of water every day is a reasonable goal and easily reachable during the day. Just make sure it’s not a sweetened beverage. Sugary drinks like soda tend to dehydrate rather than hydrate, so avoid those options. Consider adding lemon or mint leaves to make your beverage more enticing.
Chew Gum Between Meals
Chewing gum promotes saliva flow, helping moisten your mouth. Look for a xylitol-sweetened brand, as xylitol also keeps cavity-causing bacteria in check. It’s also a great way of freshening your breath between meals. You can also suck on sugar-free mints or hard candies. They boost saliva production as well. Just make sure you brush your teeth after these candies, as their sticky qualities can cling to your teeth and lead to other problems down the road.
Use a Nighttime Humidifier
If you breathe with your mouth open while you sleep, you probably struggle with a dry mouth when you wake up in the morning. Add a humidifier to your bedroom to increase the moisture in the air. It will help keep your nasal passages, throat tissues, and salivary glands from excessively drying out at night.
Choose Moisturizing Mouth Rinses
Special mouth rinses offer longer relief from dryness than water alone. Look for products that specifically target dry mouth and incorporate them into your daily oral care routine. Avoid alcohol-based rinses, which will be too drying.
Eat Foods that Encourage Saliva Production
Some foods act as natural saliva stimulants to moisten your mouth. Enjoy plenty of crunchy fruits, like apples, or citrus fruits, like oranges or grapefruits, to encourage saliva production. Green, leafy veggies like spinach and kale do too. Yogurt contains probiotics beneficial for mouth health. And chewing something crisp like celery or cucumbers also helps.
Stop Smoking
Smokers are more prone to chronic dry mouth. Smoking can cause damage to your salivary glands. Kicking the habit allows your saliva production to rebound. If quitting cold turkey seems too hard, ask your primary physician for help. You don’t have to struggle alone.
We hope these tips have helped you. However, if your condition seems to continue, feel free to schedule an appointment. Your dentist will do an exam, and identify the root cause of the problem and recommend treatments that can help. Call Austin Elite Smiles today at
512-866-3800 to schedule an appointment in Austin, TX. You can also
request an appointment online.
