Having a dry mouth can be symptomatic of a number of different health conditions, including dehydration, anxiety and Sjogren’s syndrome; this is a condition which can affect different parts of the body including the salivary glands, the joints and the tear ducts and can contribute to dry mouth, arthritis and dry eyes respectively. Dry mouth can be caused by a number of different factors, including taking certain types of medication, undergoing
radiotherapy, being dehydrated, breathing through the mouth rather than the nose and suffering from anxiety. A Birmingham dentist will be able to help you identify the cause if it is causing you great discomfort during your daily routine.

In order to treat dry mouth, it is beneficial to identify and address the source of the problem; if medication is the cause your doctor may prescribe an alternative form of medication. Other causes, such as severe anxiety will also be treated and most patients find that this prevents them from getting dry mouth in the future. Dehydration is a problem which can cause several unpleasant symptoms including joint and muscle aches, fatigue and headaches; to prevent dehydration it is important to drink plenty of fluids; experts recommend that people drink around 2 litres of water per day. Not all fluids are effective in keeping the body hydrated; it is best to try and drink water to ensure you don’t suffer from dehydration.

In addition to treating underlying causes of dry mouth, it may also be beneficial to sip water on a regular basis, chew sugar-free chewing gum (also a good way to unstuck pieces of food that get caught between teeth and that may lead to the need for a dental job along the lines of tooth extraction ), suck on blocks of ice, suck sugar-free sweets, eat juicy fruits and cut down on caffeine; all these measures will help to keep the mouth moist as they stimulate saliva production. In more severe case, these measures may not be sufficient to deal with the problem; instead, a doctor may prescribe a gel, spray or type of lozenge that will act as a replacement for saliva. Medication may also be prescribed to help increase saliva production.