DRY MOUTH-XEROSTOMIA

The condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet due to inadequate function of the salivary glands. Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while when they are nervous, upset, or under stress. But if someone has a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable and lead to serious health problems.

Dry mouth reasons and the causes of xerostomia are numerous but the most common causes of this salivary dysfunction is related to medications of different kinds. There are over 400 prescription and non-prescription drugs that can induce xerostomia but the common ones are allergy medications, anti-depressives, blood pressure medications, and diuretics, just to name a few. Other causes are aging, dehydration, and using alcohol based mouth rinses. Some less common causes are radiation to the head and neck areas, certain chemo agents, patients suffering Sjogrens Syndrome, diabetes, and other auto-immune diseases.

Treatments can include prescriptions for dry mouth toothpaste, special saliva-producing chewing gum, or saliva substitute solutions.

For more information regarding Xerostomia and methods of treatment, please call our office at (651) 829-2146.