Dry mouth: causes and effective treatment
A dry mouth can have a major impact on dental health. Saliva plays a crucial role in protecting your teeth, as it neutralizes acids and washes away food debris. But what happens when saliva production comes to a standstill? Our dental practice in Charlottenburg takes a detailed look at the topic in this article and provides you with sound insights and practical solutions.
The most important facts in brief
A dry mouth can affect dental health.
Common causes are medication, dehydration and lifestyle.
Drink more water and use mouth moisturizers for relief.
Home remedies such as sugar-free chewing gum can also help.
Common causes of dry mouth
Dry mouth can be influenced by numerous factors. Medication is one of the most common causes, especially drugs such as antidepressants and antihypertensives. These medications affect the nerves responsible for saliva production, resulting in a reduced amount of saliva.
Dehydration, whether caused by insufficient water intake or excessive sweating on hot days, also plays an important role. If the body lacks sufficient fluids, there is less left over for the production of saliva. Diseases such as diabetes or Sjögren's syndrome are also known to reduce oral moisture as they directly affect the salivary glands and limit their functionality.
Finally, lifestyle choices such as smoking or frequent alcohol consumption can dry out the mouth and affect saliva production by irritating the mucous membranes in the mouth.
What helps against dry mouth?
Fortunately, there are some measures that can help relieve dry mouth. First of all, you should drink enough water to stabilize your fluid balance and stimulate your salivary glands. Regulated water consumption increases general hydration and ensures that the body is supplied with enough fluid to produce saliva at all times. Special mouth moisturizing products such as sprays or gels also help to stimulate saliva production directly. These products are particularly helpful when traveling or in situations where access to drinking water is limited, as they maintain moisture in the mouth.
Another important aspect is to avoid irritants such as alcohol and caffeine, as these can exacerbate dry mouth and dry out the mucous membranes and promote inflammatory processes.
Home remedies for dry mouth
In addition to the measures already mentioned, there are also some home remedies that can help with dry mouth. Sugar-free chewing gum can stimulate saliva production, as chewing stimulates the saliva-producing glands. Herbal teas such as chamomile or sage are particularly beneficial as they have soothing properties and help to moisturize the mouth.
Other options include sucking sour candies or lemon slices, as these stimulate saliva production by stimulating the taste buds. Even simple methods such as gargling with salty water can help to get saliva production going again and thus alleviate a dry mouth feeling.
Conclusion
A dry mouth is more than just a minor inconvenience. The causes range from medication to dehydration and can have a significant impact on dental health. However, a lot can be achieved through simple lifestyle changes and the use of home remedies.
By practicing active oral hygiene and stimulating saliva production, you can successfully alleviate your dry mouth. Regular visits to a dental practice will help to identify and treat any problems at an early stage. Rely on the expertise of Smile & Smile to maintain healthy oral hygiene. Even if you have language barriers Arabic dentists in Berlin or Turkish dentists in Berlin you are in good hands with us.