Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)
By Joseph Preziosi Jr., DMD
Xerostomia, pronounced zero-sto-mia, or dry mouth is a significant medical condition that many patients choose to ignore even though they suffer significantly from it. The reason that dry mouth or xerostomia is such a significant medical condition is because of the vast number or functions saliva performs.
Saliva initiates the digestive process, has an antimicrobial component and is essential in mediating the sensation of taste, for taste buds to perceive taste sensations the stimuli must first be dissolved in saliva. Saliva assists in mastication (chewing of food), deglutition (swallowing of food), and in speech. It helps maintain the proper pH of the oral cavity, which helps to maintain the integrity of both the teeth and oral mucosa and also helps maintain the normal oral flora, or amount and types of oral bacteria that are normal found in a healthy mouth.
Therefore, a reduction in saliva production or hyposalivation that leads to dry mouth or not may result in a number of disease processes such as oral candidiasis or oral thrush, which is a fungal infection.
Dry mouth or hyposlivation can also lead to an increased incidence of caries, what most patients call cavities or decay, inflammation of the oral mucosa, loss are diminution of the sense of taste (called dysgeusia), and can cause difficulties with speech, mastication (the ability to properly chew food) and deglutition (the ability to swallow food). So it is essential to seek treatment if you are suffering from any or all of these symptoms.
It is also essential to remember that hyposalivation may occur and cause some or all of the aforementioned symptoms without causing dry mouth. Unfortunately dry mouth may be the last symptom to arise and patients should not delay seeking treatment if any of the other symptoms mentioned occur.
There are many reasons for hyposalivation and or dry mouth to occur. They range from head and neck radiation to treat cancer, diseases that cause salivary gland destruction, such as Sjogren's syndrome, a calcification that blocks the salivary ducts and the most prevalent cause prescription medications. Especially for patients who take a number or prescription medications the complication of hyposalivation or dry mouth is extremely common.
There are often other medications that can be substituted for those that are causing the hyposalivation and or dry mouth and when there isn't any other alternative then a dentist can prescribe a treatment regiment that can reduce the discomfort and relieve or palliate the symptoms. This can make life a lot more comfortable and therefore enjoyable while mitigating the disease processes associated with dry mouth and or hyposalivation.
Treatment regiments may include synthetic saliva that helps with speech, mastication (chewing), dysgeusia (loss of taste) and deglutition (difficulty swallowing). This makes eating much more enjoyable and helps insure the patient is getting proper nutrition. A fluoride rinse may also be part of the recommended treatment regiment. This will help reduce the incidence of caries (cavities or decay) and helps to moderate the pH or the mouth.
More frequent dental visits for examinations, radiographs (X-rays), and prophylaxis (dental cleanings) are indicated for patients with dry mouth and or hyposalivation. So don't delay seeking treatment if you have any or all of these symptoms, help is available and a more comfortable life is just a phone call away.
About the Author:
Joseph Preziosi Jr., DMD
New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist
phone. (908) 654-7100
fax 908-654-8764
email: Drpreziosi@aol.com
url: http://www.preziosidentistry.com/