Xerostomia or Dry Mouth

Here’s a new word for your dental vocabulary – xerostomia, it means dry mouth. Short-term dry mouth is what we get when we are nervous or under stress such as going for a job interview, going on a first date or something similar. We can also suffer from short-term dry mouth if we are on medication.

Long term dry mouth, on the other hand may be due to diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or other medical condition or caused by such medical treatments as radiotherapy and may be irreversible.
Dry mouth is a condition that occurs when the salivary glands are not producing enough saliva. The lack of adequate saliva can cause all sorts of problems in the mouth.

The reduction of natural saliva flow will make swallowing a painful experience and cause pain throughout the oral tissues and will invariably lead to dental caries and gum disease.

Dry mouth causes the tongue to stick to the roof of the mouth which causes that clicking sound you very often hear in older people. When the tongue sticks to the roof of the mouth, it makes talking more difficult which may lead to social phobias where people with xerostomia avoid social meeting or conversations, speaking on the telephone and definitely shy away from public speaking which can ultimately impair career opportunities.

Dryness in the mouth will cause the gums to shrink away from the teeth creating cavities which will become breeding grounds for bacteria.

 Anyone on a medication causing a dry mouth effect should be encouraged to visit their dentist for regular dental cleanings and topical fluoride rinses.