If you’ve ever suffered from dry mouth, you know it comes with bad breath, cracked lips, and even an altered sense of taste. When the issue doesn’t go away after a sip of water, you might be wondering what else you can do to relieve this uncomfortable feeling.
Luckily, there are plenty of home remedies for dry mouth that don’t require a trip to the doctor. Try each of these tips for relief before you call the dentist.
A dry mouth is more than just feeling thirsty. It happens when glands in the mouth don’t produce enough saliva, which can cause discomfort. Left untreated, it can even encourage tooth decay.
Also called xerostomia or hyposalivation, dry mouth is not an official diagnosable condition on its own. However, it’s often a symptom of other health conditions or a side effect from different medications.
For most cases of dry mouth, you’ll find luck with these at-home treatments:
It may seem like the obvious solution for relieving dry mouth, but drinking water can boost your saliva glands over time. Dehydration is a leading cause of dryness throughout the body, so increasing your water intake may help.
Caffeinated beverages, like coffee, tea, and soda, are diuretics that cause the body to lose extra water throughout the day. Likewise, drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco dehydrate the body. By limiting or quitting these habits altogether, you may be able to improve your overall hydration, which will, in turn, help your dry mouth.
One quick trick for dealing with dry mouth is to pop in a piece of chewing gum. You’ll enjoy some relief from your symptoms, especially if you find a gum made with xylitol. This ingredient helps stimulate saliva production, motivating your glands to get back to work.
Letting your oral hygiene slide could lead to dry mouth, which then worsens your tooth health. Saliva contains enzymes that help break down and digest food, so when your mouth produces less of it, sugar and bacteria continuously eat away at your enamel.
Whether your dental care is the cause of your dry mouth or not, it’s essential to brush and floss your teeth daily.
Adding moisture to your environment is an excellent remedy for dehydration and dry mouth issues. Plus, it boosts the overall immune system, especially in colder weather when the air tends to be dry. Sleeping with a humidifier nearby could reduce your sore throat, chapped lips, and other uncomfortable side effects of dry mouth.
Mouthwash can stimulate saliva in addition to improving oral hygiene. Adding a daily rinse to your routine can provide short-term relief, especially if you find a formula with xylitol. Just like in sugar-free chewing gum, xylitol mouthwash encourages your glands to produce more saliva throughout the day.
You can even purchase saliva substitutes over the counter at a pharmacy. Using an artificial saliva rinse is an excellent way to get short-term relief and protect your teeth from ill effects while treating the source of the dry mouth.
If you aren’t having any luck with home remedies for dry mouth, you could be dealing with a more severe problem. In this case, it’s best to consult a doctor or dentist about the issue.
You should seek medical help if:
If your child is experiencing dry mouth, you should take steps to ensure it doesn’t lead to tooth decay. When home remedies for dry mouth don’t do the trick, our Kool Smiles Kids Club partner dentists are ready to help. Call us today at 877-200-2064 to make an appointment with one of our partner dentists or find a partner dentist near you.