You have probably suffered from a dry mouth on one occasion or another. However, this is no big deal. It becomes an issue when dry mouth is a recurring issue for you. Dry mouth is when there is not an adequate amount of saliva production occurring in the mouth. Some symptoms of this include bad breath, chewing issues, cracked lips, mouth sores, trouble speaking, and an increased risk of tooth decay. Read on to learn more about the causes of dry mouth and how it can be treated.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

You know why dry mouth occurs—due to a lack of saliva production—but you don't know why you aren't producing enough saliva. There are many reasons why you may not be producing an adequate amount of saliva, including:

• Smoking
• Drug use
• Age
• Stress and/or nervousness
• Side effects from medical treatments and/or medications
• Medical conditions like diabetes
• Sjogren's syndrome, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects certain glands, including your salivary glands

How Can Dry Mouth Be Treated?

Thankfully, dry mouth is a condition that can be treated. However, you need to first learn what the culprit is. For example, if smoking is causing the dry mouth, then you should reduce your use of tobacco or quit smoking, as this can significantly help your dry mouth. If the underlying issue is medical treatments or medications, then your symptoms may simply be temporary.

Regardless of why you are experiencing dry mouth, there are steps you can take to help stimulate your salivary glands to help manage the symptoms you are experiencing. These include the following.

Chew Gum – One of the easiest ways to stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth is to chew sugarless gum. Make sure to always keep some gum with you so that you can pop a piece in your mouth when your mouth is feeling particularly dry.

Avoid Caffeine – Rather than drinking caffeine-rich beverages like soda, tea, and coffee, opt for water. Believe it or not, staying hydrated with water is the best way to avoid dry mouth symptoms.

Try to Relax – If you believe that your dry mouth symptoms are being brought on by anxiety or stress, you should look for ways to reduce your stress, such as mediation, yoga, and simple stress-reducing exercises like breathing exercises. Try a few different things to determine what works best for you.

Talk to Your Dentist – If the aforementioned strategies don't work for you, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your dental professional to talk about more specific products and dental cleaning treatments that can help you alleviate your dry mouth symptoms.