Dry mouth is one of leading causes of rapid tooth decay. It is caused by an inadequate flow of saliva in the mouth. Saliva is the natural way our body cleans our teeth. A decrease in saliva flow causes the plaque you have between your teeth to become sticky, making it harder to clean or rinse it off your teeth. Dry mouth can lead to significant tooth decay in just six months. If you already had a lot of restorative work done to your teeth, you may be more prone to rapid tooth decay due to dry mouth.

You may be more susceptible to dry mouth if you have allergies, asthma or other respiratory conditions, or if you breathe with your mouth open. In addition, certain medications cause dry mouth as a side effect, and you are more likely to get dry mouth if you’ve already had a lot of restorative work done to your teeth.

If you suffer from both dry mouth and periodontal disease, the condition of your teeth & gums can quickly go from stable to unstable. In this case you should seek treatment from a dentist.

The key to managing dry mouth is to keep your mouth moist. Some remedies you can try include:

• Biotene Products. Patients typically prefer the type that you spray in your mouth. It is easy to use in the middle of the night when you wake up with a dry mouth.
• Drink water frequently. Keep water by the bed to sip in the middle of the night.
• Any alcohol free oral rinses.
• Sugar free gum and candy
• Use a dry toothbrush when you brush. Since plaque is stickier, you will need to brush longer than usual to remove all of it.
• Prevident 5000 Dry Mouth (by Prescription only)
• Any sugar free Lozenges
• Products containing Xylitol (ex. Gum)

Places you can go to get Dry Mouth Products

• Amazon: Go to Health and Personal Care: dry mouth products.
• All pharmacies, target, walmart, etc… carry a variety of these products. Ask the pharmacist if you can’t find them.

Check back periodically: As I get feedback on more products that work and taste good this list will be updated.