Dental Newington
Do you often have to deal with a dry mouth? This may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it is a sign that something is wrong. It might just be a case of being dehydrated, but even then a dry mouth can encourage the bad bacteria that lead to tooth decay and gum disease. And it is quite possible that the dry mouth is caused by a serious underlying condition.
Breathing Problems
A dry mouth can be caused by incorrect breathing. Our bodies should breathe through the nose. If we breathe through the mouth instead we end up with a dry mouth, and also end up with a deficiency of Nitric Oxide, which will leaves us tired and unable to concentrate.
It is not uncommon to breathe through the mouth while we sleep. This leaves us feeling lethargic when we wake, and with bad breath. This quickly leads to tooth decay and gum problems.
Preventing a Dry Mouth
– Remember to Drink more water during the day.
– While sleeping try using a nasal strip, or perhaps a CPAP breathing mask, to encourage nasal breathing. Dentist can make a mouth guard to help correct breathing at night.
– Chew sugar free gum, or sugar free candy. Either of these sweetened with Xylitol will also help fight bad bacteria in the mouth.
– Chemists/Pharmacists can sell over the counter treatments for dry mouth.
– Tea, green or black, helps keep the mouth moist. These also prevent bad breath by fighting bad bacteria.
– Use alcohol free mouth wash.
– Give up smoking, which will dry the mouth.
– Limit Caffeine and alcohol, which will dry the mouth.
– If our sinuses are blocked we might find that spicy food can relieve the blockage. Or try inhaling steam.
– Try Ginger can activate the saliva glands.
– Use a room humidifier to put moisture in the air. This is especially effective at night.
– Check to see if you have an underlying medical condition that causes the dry mouth.
Some condition that are correlated with a dry mouth include:
– Alzheimer’s disease
– Autoimmune diseases
– Blood loss
– Diabetes
– Infections of the mouth or salivary glands, such as oral thrush or mumps
– Kidney failure
– Parkinson’s disease
– Sleep apnea
Some painkillers, antidepressants and chemotherapy produce a dry mouth as a side effect.
Newington Dental
A dry mouth should not be ignored. Talk to the dentist, and prevent complications to your dental and general health.
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