Many people experience dry mouth symptoms at one time or another in their lives. Unfortunately, many of those people don't realize that this condition can cause a problem for one's oral hygiene. If you've noticed that your mouth has been dry lately or it always has been, here's how it could be putting your oral health at risk.

Why Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth can happen to you on a regular basis, or only somewhat occasionally. It all depends upon why exactly you have dry mouth.

For some people, the mouth tends to be drier than others just because that's the way their particular body works. Some people simply don't produce as much saliva as others. However, many more people will experience dry mouth because of medications that they take. Both legal and illegal drugs can cause dry mouth, so consider the prescriptions you've been given by a doctor and any non-prescription drugs you may be taking if you're having this problem.

What it Does

Dry mouth is a problem for people because it can cause an uptick in the amount of bacteria that you have in your mouth.

While people think about plaque and tartar being two of the biggest problems with oral health, both of these conditions are ultimately caused by bacteria. The bacteria produce plaque as they eat the sugar and carbs that you consume daily. When there's too much bacteria, more plaque and tartar develops as a result, and gum disease is more likely as well.

Dry mouth can also cause conditions like thrush, where little mouth sores form and can make a person's life more difficult and unpleasant.

What to Do

If you think that you have dry mouth, the first thing you should do for yourself is to head to your dentist's office.

Regardless of the cause of your dry mouth symptoms, your dentist can help to treat your oral health and ensure that you're not experiencing tooth decay or gum disease as a result of your dry mouth symptoms.

Furthermore, your dentist can give you products or recommend products that can help you to produce more saliva and keep your oral bacteria under control.

Lastly, consider the medications discussed previously. If you're taking medications that are causing your dry mouth, talk to your doctor about changing medications or tapering back. You may be able to switch to a similar drug that doesn't carry the dry mouth side effect.

Dry mouth can be a big problem for oral health. If you know that your mouth tends to be dry and you haven't seen a dentist in a while, it's time to do so. Contact a dental office like ComfortCare  Dental to learn more.