How Dry Mouth Affects Your Smile

by | Jun 1, 2022 | Dental Health

If you suffer from dry mouth, you know how much discomfort it can cause. Unfortunately, dry mouth not only interferes with your comfort, it can also interfere with the health of your teeth and gums. Read on to learn about how dry mouth affects your smile.

Why is Saliva Important?

You may not have thought much about the saliva in your mouth until you began to experience dry mouth, but your body’s saliva is actually a very complex and important thing. That’s why it’s important to be aware of how dry mouth affects your smile so that you can keep your smile healthy and strong.

Saliva is your body’s way of protecting and remineralizing your teeth. In other words, saliva is your body’s natural way of keeping your teeth clean of food debris and plaque and defending them against cavities. When something throws off the delicate balance of the saliva in your mouth, it can cause all sorts of issues.

What Can Negatively Affect it?

Saliva flow can be impacted by many factors. These may include your hydration levels, whether you are nervous or stressed, if you breathe through your mouth due to sinus congestion or exercise, medications you take, and other health conditions throughout your body.

Can Dry Mouth be Cured?

In order to stop dry mouth from negatively affecting your smile, it’s important to find out what is causing dry mouth in your situation. Your dentist can help with this by examining your mouth and talking with you about your lifestyle and when you typically experience dry mouth symptoms.

If your dentist diagnoses you with dry mouth, they will usually recommend an at-home treatment regimen that might include drinking more fluids to stay well-hydrated or prescribing dental products such as a toothpaste or mouthwash that have been specially formulated to combat dry mouth.

If you take a prescription or over-the-counter medication, it’s also a good idea to check if dry mouth is listed as a possible side effect. Don’t discontinue any medication without your doctor’s advice; however, your doctor may be able to provide an alternative option if it’s becoming problematic.

Talking with Your Dentist

If you’re experiencing dry mouth, call to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will be happy to answer any questions you have about how dry mouth affects your smile and help you pinpoint the cause so that you can get started on a treatment plan to get your smile back to feeling its best and brightest.

Call our Platte City dental office to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.

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