If you have ever felt a dry, tacky sensation in your mouth, then you are familiar with dry mouth. This condition not only feels uncomfortable, but it could pose a threat to your oral health. The dry oral environment allows natural bacteria to spread more easily through your mouth, heightening your risk for oral infections like gum disease. For more information on how we diagnose and treat
You will need intervention from your dentist to eradicate gum disease. So ideally, you should prevent contracting it in the first place. This will mean treating dry mouth quickly before you can suffer an infection.
In many instances, you can find relief from dry mouth on your own. But if dry mouth persists on a chronic basis, you will need to consult your dentist for a solution. Read on to discover three ways that you can address mild cases of dry mouth from your home.
Drink Plenty of Water
Dry mouth can often develop when you are dehydrated. If you do not have enough water in your body, you will produce less saliva, leaving your mouth dry and at risk of dental dangers.
Dentists and health experts agree that you should drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day in order to maintain adequate hydration levels. Constant efforts to drink water can keep you hydrated overall. But sipping water will also treat acute dry mouth by introducing moistness to the dry oral environment.
Drinking water will not only protect your smile from oral infections. But it will also rinse harmful residues from your teeth to boost oral hygiene. And drinking tap water that contains fluoride can strengthen your teeth as well.
Chew Sugar-Free Gum
You can encourage the production of saliva through the act of chewing. But if your mouth feels dry, you might worry that eating when you do not feel hungry will disrupt your diet. Fortunately, the act of chewing gum will stimulate saliva production without affecting your diet.
Make sure you choose a sugar-free type of gum for this activity. Sugar notoriously hurts your teeth, and you want this action to help your oral health without introducing further risks to your dental structure.
Consider Environmental Risk Factors
Sometimes, your surroundings can contribute to your dry mouth symptoms. Pay attention to when you tend to develop dry mouth. If it seems to happen in the same room of your home regularly, then there might be dry air there that also is drying out your mouth.
In this case, try using a humidifier to add moisture to the space. Then, your mouth will not dry out, especially if you cannot avoid the room or spend a great deal of time there, such as while sleeping.
If dry mouth continues without a known environmental cause, you should visit your dentist. They can help you identify the reason your mouth is dry so that you can treat it and protect your smile from serious oral health concerns.