UNDERSTANDING A
DRY MOUTH

A dry mouth can affect your
day-to-day life

A dry mouth can make routine aspects of life, like eating and speaking difficult. But even if you don’t experience these signs, it is important to tend to your dry mouth, as the dryness (lack of saliva) may lead to other oral health concerns, including:

• Bad breath
• Cavities

Saliva is important to your oral health

Typically, your mouth produces about 1 litre of saliva a day, which is enough to fill almost 3 soft drink cans. A dry mouth can occur when the salivary glands don't produce enough saliva. That can be a problem, because saliva has many important functions. It keeps your mouth moist and comfortable; helps you eat food; helps protect your teeth from decay; and helps prevent infections by controlling bacteria in the mouth. So when you don’t have enough saliva, your oral health environment could be impaired. 

Could medications be
causing you a dry mouth?

Many people assume a dry mouth is a result of getting older, but that’s not quite true. The primary cause is medication usage. Some of the medicines you are taking every day may influence the amount of saliva your body produces, especially heart, blood pressure and depression tablets. Plus, the more medicines you take, the greater your chances are of developing a dry mouth. 

Biotène Moisturising Mouthwash
can effectively moisturise and protect oral tissue against discomfort.

In the meantime, try Biotène Moisturising Mouthwash to effectively lubricate and protect oral tissue against discomfort.

Please also see your dentist regularly as part of a good oral care routine.