Xerostomia is the medical term for dry mouth.  Dry mouth is simply the lack of saliva or spit inside the mouth.  Dry mouth can have a variety of symptoms including bad breath, stringy thick spit, and dryness around the mouth like in the corners of the lips.  Dry mouth can make it difficult to eat, speak or wear dental appliances like dentures.

Dry mouth on its own is not a disease—but instead is usually a side effect related to another health issue in the body.  Most commonly dry mouth is caused by one or more of a long list of medications.  There are literally hundreds of medications from muscle relaxants to blood pressure medications that can cause dry mouth. Another cause of dry mouth is from certain cancer treatments.  If you have a cancer of the head or neck, radiation to this area will often cause damage to the salivary glands.  These glands are responsible for the production of saliva inside the mouth and if they are damaged they cannot produce saliva or may not produce enough.

Other lifestyle factors can cause dry mouth. Certainly smoking and chewing tobacco can contribute to dry mouth problems. If you have had an injury to the face or neck, specifically an injury that resulted in nerve damage then you may suffer from dry mouth. Also snoring or breathing with your mouth open will also lend to the problem.

Each case of dry mouth should be evaluated based on a person by person basis. No two cases will likely be the same and you should see your dentist or health care professional if you notice a continuing problem to have it evaluated. Your dentist may be able to make suggestions to help the problem.  Several alternatives are available by prescription for severe cases to help replace saliva if you are not producing any.  Taking sips of water or chewing on ice chips throughout the day will also help with symptoms.

Fixing a dry mouth will really depend on its cause. Dry mouth is often a symptom related to another problem or lifestyle factor and often doesn’t occur just on its own.

Try the most obvious changes first. Talk to your doctor about any medications that you may be taking that could be causing your symptoms. Especially if your dry mouth has started suddenly or you have recently started taking new medications. There are literally hundreds of medications on the market that can cause dry mouth symptoms and simply lowering your dose or changing to another brand of medication may cure your dry mouth.

If you suffer from dry mouth there are some over the counter products that can help replace saliva in a liquid synthetic form.  These liquids can be placed in the mouth and are not easily washed away.  This gives the mouth moisture for a longer period of time than just sipping water or chewing on ice chips.  Your doctor or dentist may also give you a prescription for a stronger form if your case is severe enough.

Chewing sugarless gum can also help awaken your salivary glands and ask them to make more saliva if they can.  Choose sugarless because many people who have a lack of saliva often have trouble fighting cavities.  Saliva helps wash away bacteria that could remain on the teeth and without it, bacteria attack the teeth and cause cavities much more quickly. Sugar feeds bacteria, so you will want to avoid sugary snacks and candies as much as possible.

Stay away from tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco.  Also avoid antihistamines (medications we usually take for allergies) as these will dry up not only your runny nose, but your saliva too.Other simple options include breathing through your nose at night, and using a cool mist humidifier to add moisture to the air.  This can help moisten not only your mouth but also the inside of your nose and your throat while you sleep.

Dry mouth may be mild or severe. In some cases there may be no saliva production at all.  Without saliva it is difficult to eat, swallow and sometimes even speak without difficulties.  Wearing dental appliances like dentures can also be very hard.

If you suffer from dry mouth there are some over the counter products that can help replace saliva in a liquid synthetic form.  These liquids can be placed in the mouth and are not easily washed away.  This gives the mouth moisture for a longer period of time than just sipping water or chewing on ice chips.  Your doctor or dentist may also give you a prescription for a stronger form if your case is severe enough.

Before you make a trip to the pharmacy, try some simple steps to improve your mouth’s moisture.  Talk to your doctor about any medications that you may be taking that could be causing your symptoms. Especially if your dry mouth has started suddenly or you have recently started taking new medications. There are literally hundreds of medications on the market that can cause dry mouth symptoms and simply lowering your dose or changing to another brand of medication may cure your dry mouth.

Chewing sugarless gum can also help awaken your salivary glands and ask them to make more saliva if they can.  Choose sugarless because many people who have a lack of saliva often have trouble fighting cavities.  Saliva helps wash away bacteria that could remain on the teeth and without it, bacteria attack the teeth and cause cavities much more quickly. Sugar feeds bacteria, so you will want to avoid sugary snacks and candies as much as possible.

Other simple options include breathing through your nose at night, and using a cool mist humidifier to add moisture to the air.  This can help moisten not only your mouth but also the inside of your nose and your throat while you sleep.

Bad breath may have many causes—some of which are unknown.  One proven trigger of bad breath is from dry tissues inside the mouth.  Bacteria living inside the mouth are washed away or kept at lower levels thanks to saliva (spit) that keeps the mouth moist and cleanses away bacteria.

When the tissues of the mouth become dry dead skin cells inside the mouth are allowed to collect in higher amounts and they begin to decompose which leads to bad breath. Another cause of bad breath lays directly in the bacteria themselves.

Without saliva, the amount of oxygen that is available to the tissues in the mouth is reduced.  This can make a very happy home for bacteria where they thrive and release their sulfur compounds—these sulfur compounds result in bad breath.

Alcohol has long been used in medical settings to dry narrow test tubes that cannot be reached with other tools.  Allowing the alcohol to evaporate removes moisture from the surface that it is touching.  The same bears true for the tissues inside the mouth.  Consuming an alcoholic drink will eventually dry out the tissues inside the mouth allowing dead skin cells and bacteria to increase.

Another hidden culprit behind bad breath is mouthwash.  As surprising as it may be, mouthwash often contains high amounts of alcohol and will only make improve a case of  bad breath temporarily and then it will return worse than it began.  Reading labels on all oral care products and choosing one without alcohol is a wise first step to avoiding this common mistake.

The natural balance inside our mouth can be delicate and hard to maintain without the proper tools.  Staying away from synthetic chemicals and additives that disrupt nature’s balance in our bodies is always beneficial to helping us stay at peak performance.

There can be many causes of dry mouth.  While dry mouth is most usually associated with other medical conditions, lifestyle can play a key role in this problem.  Dry mouth is considered to be more of a “side effect” meaning that there is another underlying cause of the problem and dry mouth does not often occur just on its own.

Tobacco products like cigarettes, and chewing tobacco are common causes of dry mouth.  The heat and chemical in the smoke from cigarettes as well as the chemicals that come in contact with the gums with chewing tobacco irritate the gums.  This irritation will change the normal chemical balance inside the mouth and can cause the mouth to dry out, and can cause other problems like swollen and infected gums and can even lead to oral cancers over time. Because of the drying effect on the mouth, smokers often struggle with bad breath because there isn’t enough saliva present to help wash away the odor causing bacteria.

If you wish to continue to smoking but suffer from dry mouth you may look for over the counter products that can be placed in the mouth to replace saliva when your mouth is dry. If these products are not helpful, you may need to see your doctor or dentist to get a prescription for something stronger that may help. Also chewing sugarless gum or taking frequent sips of water or chewing on ice chips can also help with symptoms.

Certainly as with any tobacco product, your best cure is going to be stopping the use of the products all together. Make sure to see your dentist regularly (at least twice a year) for cleanings and to also have the inside of your mouth and tongue checked for any signs of lesions or changes that may lead to bigger problems like cancer.