Dry mouth: here are the symptoms
The patient generally reports a general sensation of dehydration in the mouth, but other symptoms may also coexist. The throat is often red and sore, the nose is dry, the lips are chapped and there may be a stinging burning sensation or bad breath. The tongue may appear red and covered with a whitish coating or fissured, or with furrows on its back.
Patients suffering from xerostomia usually have problems swallowing or eating particularly dry and crumbly foods such as boiled rice, bread, biscuits or are unable to eat acidic and spicy foods. In some cases, they have an alteration in the taste of food or have difficulty wearing removable prostheses such as skeletons or dentures because the retentive effect that saliva has is missing. In the most important cases, opportunistic infections can also arise such as candidiasis, sialadenitis (viral or bacterial infections of the salivary glands), root caries, erosion, and dental hypersensitivity. Often, in case of nocturnal dryness, patients keep a glass of water on the bedside table during the night to soothe the dryness of the oral cavity which tends to wake them up.
Fighting dry mouth: what to eat and what to avoid
The ideal would be to restore, as far as possible, the lubrication of the oral cavity to improve the patient's clinical picture and alleviate the sensation of dryness. There are several products on the market that do not require a prescription and can help hydrate the oral cavity. These products are available in the form of formulations generally used for oral hygiene, such as toothpaste, gel, mouthwash, and spray. Furthermore, the formulations are also available as chewing gums, tablets, or lozenges.
The patient should undergo regular professional dental hygiene sessions and check-ups based on the severity of the clinical picture of xerostomia. Equally important is that adequate daily oral hygiene is maintained.
The patient should be advised to limit salty or spicy foods, coffee, tea, sports drinks, sugary or carbonated drinks, alcohol. It would also be useful to prefer plain water, encourage the use of lubricants or stimulants to increase salivation, especially before meals or before sleeping, and suggest the patient chew gum or suck sugar-free sweets.
Tests to evaluate xerostomia and remedies
Should a persistent sensation of dryness arise, particularly if parallel to the use of the drugs mentioned, it is advisable for the patient to be visited by an oral medicine specialist to have a definitive diagnosis based on the clinical and subjective signs and symptoms.
There are some tests that can be done to determine the severity of the situation. In addition to simpler methods, such as using a tongue depressor to check the lingual surface and the degree of hydration of the oral cavity, there are other more accurate methods. One of these consists of sialometry, which is carried out by stimulating the production of saliva, collecting it from the main exit channels and evaluating its flow, especially if the presence of xerostomia is not clear. A biopsy of the salivary glands can also be useful, to verify that there are no functional or morphological criticalities.
On the basis of this evidence, it is possible that the dentist or doctor will give indications on the precautions to be followed both for a better diet and for optimized drug intake so as not to create discomfort during the night, when the patient could be more at risk of developing caries.
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