When your mouth is dry, it can impact more than just your ability to chew and swallow food safely. Since saliva is responsible for neutralizing bacterial acids and rinsing away food particles, keeping your mouth sufficiently moist is crucial to your dental health. Here are three common causes of dry mouth, and how a dentist can help. 

What Causes Dry Mouth?

1. Improper Hydration

You won’t be able to create the appropriate amounts of saliva unless you manage to stay hydrated, so focus on drinking water throughout the day. As a general rule of thumb, try to drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water every day, and more if you exercise or live in an arid environment. During your routine dental appointments, ask your dentist whether you seem properly hydrated. 

2. Certain Medications 

Some medicines, including antihistamines, diuretics, muscle relaxants, decongestants, and appetite suppressants can cause dry mouth, which is why it is so important to give a full medical history when you visit the dentist. Be completely transparent regarding your current list of prescribed and over-the-counter medications, and consider talking to your doctor about adjusting dosages and medications if certain medicines are contributing to dry mouth. 

3. Aging

As you get older, your salivary glands tend to produce less saliva. For this reason, senior citizens can struggle more with dental health problems like periodontal disease. As you get older, talk with your dentist about how to fend off common problems like dry mouth and gum inflammation, so that you can keep your smile healthy. 

Although it may seem like nothing to worry about, you should report issues with dry mouth to your dentist as soon as possible. At Elm Dental Care in St. Charles, MO, their dentists can help with everything from routine examinations and dental bonding to xerostomia treatment and dental implants. Learn more about becoming a new patient by visiting their website or giving their office a call at (636) 916-4848.