What is Dry Mouth? Part 2 of 3

Dry Mouth can cause discomfort to the patient and an increased risk for oral lesions.  With the loss of saliva, the mouth is less able to be lubricated.  With the mouth being acidic with the loss of saliva, the teeth can become soft.  More cavities can occur because of the loss of the ability to fight away bacteria as well as plaque becomes thicker on the teeth.  Having dry mouth creates the inability to have good oral hygiene for the teeth and mouth.  So the question is  “what causes this dry mouth that can cause so many problems?”  Dry mouth can be caused by the effects of radiation therapy on the salivary glands in patients that are dealing with cancer.   When radiation is done to the head and neck, changes to the salivary glands can occur quickly and may not be able to be reversed.  A number of medications can also cause the dry mouth issues.  These medications are typically used in the management of cancer or cancer treatment side effects.  A few of these drugs with dry mouth symptoms  include atropine, amitriptyline, carbamazepine, lorazepam and many more.   If you have dry mouth symptoms, please contact Drs. Ogle, Schmitz, and Hart for consultation to assist with treatment options.  Stay tuned on our Family Dentistry blog for treatment options that may assist you with the dry mouth symptoms.