Xerostomia, or, more commonly, dry mouth, is an oral condition that many elderly individuals face today. The leading cause of dry mouth is associated with the use of medications. As we age and tend to rely more on medications, we may begin experiencing a dry mouth. This may just seem like an irritating side effect of medications, but it can have devastating impacts on our oral cavity.
Saliva is a crucial component of our oral health, as it actively cleanses our mouth of any leftover food and bacteria. It also helps with neutralizing our mouth after we consume anything acidic. Saliva also contains crucial minerals like phosphate, calcium, and fluoride. Therefore, dry mouth can increase the risk of cavities, as our mouth isn’t being cleansed as well by our saliva.
Dry mouth can also cause halitosis, more commonly known as bad breath. As saliva is reduced, it cannot cleanse the mouth as well; therefore, more bacteria is left behind, causing the bad breath.
Dry mouth with dentures can be even more irritating, as there isn’t much saliva lubricating our gums, creating friction between the denture and our gums. This can cause more sores to form, or the denture may not retain to the mouth as well.
Some symptoms of dry mouth could be dry, chapped lips, difficulty swallowing, and a constant thirst.
The best solution for dry mouth is consuming more water. Other methods include decreasing consumption of caffeine, reducing/quitting smoking, and using saliva substitutes. Saliva substitutes play the same role as real saliva in cleansing and refreshing the mouth. They can be alcohol- and taste-free.
Be sure to check the oral side effects of your medications or consult your dentist if you begin to experience symptoms of dry mouth to prevent any harm to your oral health and consult treatment plans.