Dry mouth to many may sound like a minor issue, but once you have it, it is a lot more serious that anyone could imagine. A dry mouth is when the mouth is unusually dry. The medical term used for this is Xerostomia and it affects the teeth and the taste buds among other things. When the saliva flow is normal the teeth are protected against bacteria and stay healthy. If there is bacteria on the teeth, there is no way for them to fight tooth decay. Saliva has another very important role, and that is to help you taste your food and to help swallow the food down.
Definition of Saliva
Saliva helps the body in many ways, and most of them are things that people tend to take for granted. You need saliva in order to chew, talk and even breathe. Saliva is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands. Saliva contains mostly water, and this is a good thing seeing as the body is made of 98 percent water. Saliva ensures that the oral cavity stays hydrated. The other percentage of saliva is made up of mucus, enzymes electrolytes and antibacterial fluid. All of these factors keep the mouth, tongue, throat and the digestive system working at its best.
What causes a dry mouth?
There are a few common factors that contribute to a dry mouth. One of these factors is chronic medication. This can be in prescription form and even non prescription. Some sedatives and muscle relaxants also can cause dry mouth. Some treatments for example radiation for treatment of cancer are one of the leading causes of a dry mouth. A dry mouth is one of the symptoms that people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, cystic fibrosis and a few other conditions experience. People who drink alcohol, smokers and even someone who chews tobacco could also suffer with a dry mouth. These habits dry up the saliva in the mouth, and the production of more saliva is decreased. Also try to breathe through your nose and not your mouth. Often someone who breaths through their mouth also suffer from a dry mouth. The reason being that moisture escapes when one breaths through the mouth and in order for saliva to be produced, it needs moisture.
What are the symptoms for dry mouth?
There are many people who do not even realise that they are suffering from a dry mouth, and for this reason we decided to discuss some symptoms. The first point to consider is that there is a lot less saliva present in the mouth and there is a feeling of always being thirsty. You could be drinking plenty of fluids but that parched feeing stays. The saliva left in your mouth (if any) will have a thick feeling to it and it will be stringy. The next point is that your body will show you that it does not have sufficient moisture through your skin. If your lips at the sides are cracked or split, chances are that you have a dry mouth.
Saliva also is your very own mouth wash. Saliva rinses away any germs in your mouth, and if this does not happen, you probably have chronic or unusual bad breath. The bacteria cling to your teeth, and if not rinsed off will start to multiply, which in turn will cause a foul odour. It is essential that you get treatment for dry mouth as it could lead to fungal infection in your mouth. You could also develop an increase in plaque, tooth decay and even gum disease if you do not get treatment for dry mouth. There is no way to replace any harm done to your gums, once your gums are damaged, they cannot be repaired again. And if you have no gums, there will be no support for your teeth. The same goes if your teeth rot, there are not spares and you will have to have them replaced with replicas.
Are there any effects with dry mouth?
Dry mouth not only causes damage in your mouth, but in your throat as well. Once your food enters your mouth the saliva starts the digestion process, and helps to break the food down. Saliva helps the throat to push the food down the esophagus and into the stomach. If the throat does not get this help from the saliva, it cannot help the stomach digest the food. If your throat has no moisture it will become dry and scratchy. You will know that your throat is dehydrated by symptoms such as a sore throat, a hoarse voice, and the nasal passages are dry. There could also be difficulties in speaking.
The throat is also not the only thing that suffers with dry mouth, the tongue also bears the consequences. To be more specific, the taste buds. Taste buds need moisture to function properly and ensures that you taste and enjoy your food. The taste buds will start to shut down if the dry mouth persists. So now you have a situation of not only not tasting your food, but you also cannot swallow it down. Dry mouth will make your tongue dry and red, and raw. The tongue will also start to tingle which means that it needs moisture from saliva.
What Therabreath products treat a dry mouth?
Drinking lots of water and chewing gum helps to alleviate a dry mouth for a while, but it does not get rid of it. Therabreath products effectively eliminates dry mouth and bad breath caused by dry mouth. This is done by including ingredients that help to eliminate the anaerobic bacteria as well as increasing the saliva flow in the mouth. Therabreath oral rinse provides instant relief from dry mouth and bad breath that are caused by indigestion, post-nasal drip and chronic medications. Therabreath products keep your mouth cool, fresh and hydrated and free of any bacteria that cause halitosis.
Therabreath oral rinses contain very gentle yet very powerful ingredients like zinc, xylitol, tea tree leaf oil and these are to name but a few. Dr Katz, who is a dentist as well as a bacteriologist and the inventor of Therabreath products has tested and approved the oral hygiene products to effectively treat chronic bad breath and improved saliva flow. The Therabreath mandarin mint lozenges are ideal for keeping your mouth moist throughout the day ensuring that your mouth is hydrated and the production of saliva is maintained and keeping your breath fresh.
Summary of article
It is essential that you know what a dry mouth is and what causes it. Dry mouth is the result of little or no saliva flow and the production thereof. There are various reasons that this could happen namely Illness or disease, chronic medication, drinking and smoking to name a few. Often times the symptoms of a dry mouth are overlooked. If left untreated, it can become very sore and very uncomfortable. Then there are the issues of tasteless food, difficulty in swallowing, bad breath etc. Saliva is essential to the smooth running between the mouth, the throat and the stomach (digestion). You have to get treatment as soon as you can if you have dry mouth. It CAN be treated effectively by using Therabreaths specially formulated products, that were invented specifically for dry mouth, and to destroy bad breath bacteria.