DRY MOUTH

June, 2012 »  

Dry Mouth —  

Have you been experiencing an unusually dry mouth?  Not only is this irritating, but it can also stir up trouble with your oral health.


Believe it or not, saliva helps aid your mouth in preventing tooth decay by washing away food and neutralizing plaque acids that can eat away your enamel and cause extensive decay.

Saliva also helps you to taste and swallow your food, aids digestion of food due to enzymes, and lubricates your throat and soft tissues, helping to ward off infection.

One of the main culprits that lead to a dry mouth is medication.  We have found at Szmanda Dental that numerous patients who have had healthy teeth previously and are suddenly diagnosed with numerous cavities are afflicted with dry mouth.  They had not been informed of this side effect caused by the medication they were taking.  Here is a list of common medications that can cause dry mouth:

• Antianxiety (Lorazepam, Hydroxyzine, Valium/Diazepam, Xanax)
• Anticonvulsant (Tegretol, Felbatol)
• Antidepressant (Prozac, Luvox, Wellbutrin, Sinequan)
• Antidiarrhetic (Imodium/Ioperamide)
• Antihistamine (Benadryl, Claritin, Dimetapp)
• Antihypertensive (Captopril, Serpasil)
• Anti-inflammatory (Advil, Motrin, Naproxen/Aleve)
• Antinausant (Dramamine)
• Antiparkinsonian (Akineton)
• Antipsychotic (Lithium, Thorazine, Thiothixene)
• Antispasmodic (Ditropan/oxybutynin)
• Bronchodilator (Albuterol, Atrovent)
• Decongestant (Sudafed/pseudoephedrine)
• Diuretic (Chlorothiazide, Furosemide/Lasix, Hydrocholothiazide)
• Muscle Relaxant (Norflex, Flexeril)
• Narcotic Analgesic (Demerol, Morphine/Contin)
• Sedative (Flurazepam, Temazepam, Triazolam)

If you find yourself dealing with dry mouth, Szmanda Dental Center recommends a few things to help you deal with this problem.  First of all, check with your doctor to see if your medication can be changed or adjusted.   Secondly, keep your mouth moist by constantly having water with you.  Have a bottle with you all day and keep water at your bedside.  Thirdly, chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free candy.  This causes stimulation of saliva production.  And lastly, we suggest brushing with toothpaste that is specifically made for dry mouth.

We carry a product in our office called Prevident Dry Mouth.  It not only has a prescription strength fluoride which helps to prevent cavities, but it is also free of sodium lauryl sulfate (this chemical creates the foaming action in toothpaste) which can be hard on oral tissue, especially tissue already compromised by dry mouth.

If you have any questions or concerns about dry mouth, please feel free to ask any of the dentists or hygienists at Szmanda Dental Center.  We are more than happy to make suggestions to improve your oral health!


Information compiled from the Mayo Clinic, the ADA and Szmanda Dental Center Staff. © Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012