Dry mouth, medically termed as ‘Xerostomia’, is the condition of not having adequate saliva to keep the mouth wet. Saliva performs a crucial role in maintaining your dental health.

Dry mouth may seem like a little frustrating but could do a major damage to your teeth. It’s also painful.

Causes

• Stress, severe panic attack or depression
• Smoking or drinking 
• Autoimmune disorder or Sjogren’s syndrome
• Nerve harmed from a head or neck injury
• Chemotherapy 
• Dehydration
• Radiation 
• Sleep apnea
• Aging
• Specific drugs 
• Diseases like Diabetes, HIV, Parkinson’s or Periodontitis

Why should you never ignore its symptoms?

• Saliva keeps your mouth clean and even battles against bacteria. It decreases the acids that cause tooth decay.So when you get a dry mouth at night, you’re creating a room for harboring bacteria inside your mouth. You’ll be asleep for hours, so for the whole night you wouldn’t even be drinking water. With a lack of saliva, your teeth slowly become exposed to cavities and bacterial infection.
• Dry mouth also gives you an everlasting bad breath. 
• Insufficient saliva makes the skin in and around your mouth dry and tight. Your lips can crack. You may also develop sores at the corners of your mouth. It may be even difficult to swallow and talk.
• Dry mouth can disturb your taste buds. You may experience a metallic, salty, or other taste in your mouth. Your tongue may become rough and dry.
• The saliva also eases your digestion. It helps to break down food particles into simpler forms.You may also experience troubles with your digestive system due to a lack of saliva. Especially, when you swallow your food, you can face problems, since they are not broken down properly.
• You can get red spots in your mouth. You may also have ulcers due to dry mouth.
• The bacterial content in your mouth increases and there is a chance of dental infection. So when the food reaches your stomach, the food contains bacteria. And this can lead to food poisoning.
• The glands in front of your ears, known as parotids, may get swollen.
• Note that a dry mouth may also be a symptom of severe oral cancer.
• Dentures become painful. Dry mouth and dentures don’t go together. If your mouth is dry, the dentures can result in sores.

When Should I See My Dentist?

If your dry mouth at night is chronic or began when you started taking new medicines, then visit your dentist. Your dentist may recommend altering the dosage or switching to another drug.

You may also receive medications to improve the function of your salivary glands.

Seek immediate dental help if you have dry mouth along with other serious symptoms like- difficulty in breathing and swallowing or high fever.

Prevention

• Go for regular dental checkups
• Brush and floss daily
• Use an antibacterial mouth-rinse 
• Stay hydrated throughout the day
• Chew sugar-free gums to boost saliva production
• Utilize a humidifier to add additional moisture to the air

If you are suffering from dry mouth, and looking for a ‘Dentist near me’ in Richmond, TX, then surely call Grand Mission Dentistry. Let your Dentist in Richmond help you with the quality dental care that you deserve!