If you have a dry mouth most of the time, it’s a sign that you don’t have enough saliva to keep your mouth moist at normal levels. This could indicate another medical condition. Learn the details.
Surely, you have experienced dry mouth due to lack of hydration, nervousness, or other reasons and this sensation does not go beyond discomfort. By drinking water, the discomfort disappears and you can eat and talk again without difficulty.
However, you should pay close attention when you have a persistently dry mouth, as this could affect your health or be a sign of another medical condition. This is due to the different functions performed by saliva, a liquid substance secreted by the salivary glands that is responsible for keeping the mouth moist all day long.
According to the Kids Health organization, saliva moistens food to make it easier to swallow and enjoy. It also contains enzymes that break down food to push it easily into the throat after chewing.
‘The main characteristic of saliva is molasses, an enzyme that breaks down everything. If you eat cotton candy, it disintegrates immediately,’ explains Carolina Rodas, a dentist.
Another function of saliva, says Kids Health, is to clean the inside of your mouth and rinse your teeth to keep them clean. However, this is not enough to keep your mouth healthy, so don’t forget oral hygiene habits like brushing after every meal and flossing to remove food debris.
‘Saliva has defensive properties,’ explains Rodas, which allow it to fight infections in the mouth and even relieve wounds in the dermis. ‘When it is absent, a series of pathologies are triggered,’ he adds.
Why does dry mouth occur?
A dry mouth can cause a variety of discomforts, such as a sticky sensation, bad breath, burning in the mouth, problems chewing or speaking, dry tongue, and sores, among others. The medical term for this condition is ‘xerostomia’. ‘This is a clinical manifestation of dysfunction of the salivary glands. In some cases, the patient complains of a sensation of dryness or burning, but the mucosa appears normal. In other cases, there is a complete lack of saliva,’ he explains.
Rodas adds that this could develop in cancer patients as a result of radiotherapy. It also occurs in patients with diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Sjögren’s syndrome, a condition that attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva, according to MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine of the United States.
What happens if we stop salivating?
Saliva helps prevent tooth decay, says the Mayo Clinic, “by neutralizing acids produced by bacteria, limiting bacterial growth and washing away food particles.” According to this, Rodas explains that, in the absence of saliva, “symptoms and diseases such as bad breath, bacterial buildup, cavities and gum disease are promoted.”
Similarly, saliva allows us to better swallow and taste food, to feel the flavor, and to chew, explains Rodas. So, if you suffer from dry mouth, it is likely that this also affects your diet, since the absence of saliva makes this process difficult. In addition, according to the Mayo Clinic, saliva contains enzymes that help digestion.
So, if you have a dry mouth for a long time, don’t think twice and seek the help of specialists to obtain an accurate diagnosis and receive the treatment that best suits your needs.
Is there a treatment for dry mouth?
We must remember that dry mouth can be an effect caused by diseases (such as Sjögren’s syndrome and diabetes) or by medical treatments such as radiotherapy, in the case of cancer patients. So the cause must first be found.
According to Rodas, it is generally not curable but treatable, since it is not possible to eliminate the cause as such, that is, to stop administering the medication that causes it or to eliminate the disease that has developed it.
Due to the controversy surrounding the medications on the market, says Rodas, it is best to drink water frequently.
MedlinePlus also recommends ‘taking frequent sips of sugar-free beverages, avoiding caffeinated drinks, tobacco, alcohol, and chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free hard candy.’
If you suffer from dry mouth, keep in mind the importance of saliva in your body, the functions it performs, and the consequences when it is absent. Seek the help of specialists to receive the appropriate treatment.