It is uncomfortable to be dry in the mouth. The lack of salivation is something that may come with age or be caused by medication.
What is dry mouth?
Dry mouth (xerostomy) is the feeling of not having enough saliva in the mouth. This is because you do not produce a sufficient amount of saliva or a change in the composition of saliva.
Dry mouth is sometimes quite normal, but if you experience it often, it is uncomfortable and can cause problems in the oral cavity. It is usually seen in older people, not because it is age related, but with age there will also be an increasing incidence of disease and medication use, which can result in dryness. 20% of Danes are often bothered by dry mouth. 10% of adults suffer from dry mouth due to medication.
A new study from the Danish Dental Association shows that 63% of dentists experience an increase in the number of these patients and 98% of dentists have patients who have dental diseases due to dry mouth witch is caused by medication consumption (June 2017).
Symptoms
If you have reduced saliva production, symptoms will gradually appear:
- Multiple cavities and most often at the root
- Occasionally difficulty with eating and chewing
- Burns with spicy food on the tongue
- The food tastes different
- Dry lips that crack easily
- Dry, sticky and burning sensation in the mouth
- Dry, very red and sometimes furrowed tongue
- Dry and sometimes burning sensation in the throat
- Bad breath
- Problems with talking. A feeling of the tongue sticking to the palate
- Need to drink water at night
- Tendency to get sores in the mouth
- Gingivitis, periodontitis
- Fungal infection
- More susceptible to acid damage
Cause of dry mouth
Stress, anxiety, nervousness, medication for anxiety, depression, asthma, allergies, high blood pressure, diuretics, morphine, morphine-like drugs, diabetes, some rheumatic diseases, Sjögren’s syndrome (chronic arthritis). If you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the head / neck region, you are also exposed and you should consult your dentist before this treatment.
If you get severe side effects from your medication, you should tell your doctor.
Good advice if you suffer from dry mouth
- Drink plenty of water
- Stimulates saliva production (chewing gum, lozenges without sugar)
- Have good oral hygiene
- Stop smoking, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages
- Beware of acidic drinks and foods
- Moisten teeth and mucous membranes with saliva substitutes (mouth spray, mouth gel, mouthwash)
- Care for the lips (Vaseline, lip balm, oily moisturizer).
Top 20 list of medicines that cause dry mouth:
- Amlodipine, blood pressure
- Metoprolol, blood pressure, heart disease
- Tramadol, Analgesic
- Losartan, blood pressure
- Centyl, blood pressure
- Furix, diuretic
- Zolpidem / Zopiclone, sleeping medicine
- Enalapril, blood pressure
- Losartan and diuretics, blood pressure
- Prednisolone, immunosuppressant
- Sertraline, depression
- Citalopram, depression
- Morphine, analgesic
- Alendronic acid, osteoporosis
- Mirtazapine, depression
- Oxycodone, analgesic
- Quetiapine, antipsychotic
- Enalaprilog diuretics, blood pressure
- Venlafaxine, depression
- Pregabalin, anxiety, analgesic
Subsidies for treatment
If you have suffered damage to your teeth due to dry mouth after chemo or radiation treatment or if you suffer from Sjögren’s syndrome, you can apply to the region for a subsidy for dental treatment.