Treating Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is a state where there is a lack of saliva flow in your mouth. If dry mouth is caused by certain medications, your doctor may adjust their dosage or substitute them with other drugs that do not cause xerostomia.

Your doctor or your dentist may also prescribe you a mouthwash to partially clean your mouth and keep it moist. If there is no improvement, drugs called Pilocarpine (Salagen™) and Cevimeline (Evoxac™) help stimulating the production of saliva in your mouth and they may also be prescribed by your doctor.

Other measures that can help the production of saliva include:

• Drink plenty of water to keep your mouth hydrated and moist


• Complete stop of tobacco use.


• Do not use a mouthwash that contains alcohol because they tend to dry out your mouth.


• Reduce alcoholic drinks.


• Have a sugarless candy or chew on sugarless gum.


• Protect your teeth by brushing with toothpaste containing fluoride, use a mouthwash containing fluoride, and visit your dentist regularly for routine checkups.


• Avoid foods containing caffeine because this substance decreases the amount of saliva in your mouth.


• Add a humidifier in your bedroom to increase the humidity in the air.


• Breathe through your nose instead of your mouth as much as possible.

Source: How Can You Treat Dry Mouth?
Full Article: Xerostomia
In French: Traiter la bouche sèche