This is what you can do for a dry mouth

Do you regularly have a dry mouth? That can cause bad breath, but it's also not very good for your teeth. Time to tackle your dry mouth.

How does a dry mouth develop?

Everyone suffers from a dry mouth from time to time. It can happen when you talk too much, it can be a side effect of medication you are taking, or you drink too much alcohol. It is also possible that you are not producing enough saliva. It is estimated that about six to eight percent of the population produces too little saliva.

Read also: 'The causes of a metallic taste in your mouth'

The use of saliva

Saliva protects the teeth against, among other things, caries, dental erosion and inflammation. It ensures that teeth and molars absorb calcium again (remineralization) and therefore become stronger after damage. Saliva also protects your lips, corners of the mouth, tongue and the mucous membrane of the mouth against oral infections.

Chronic dry mouth

In addition, saliva plays a role in blood clotting and wound healing of tissues in the oral cavity. Especially the use of certain medicines, autoimmune diseases and radiation in the head and neck area often lead to hyposalivation , the official name for a chronically dry mouth.

What can you do about dry mouth?

• Eat spread throughout the day, so that you chew something regularly. This stimulates saliva production.
• Make sure you drink enough.
• Lic acid products such as cucumber or orange stimulate saliva production and are therefore good to eat.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol.
• Do you suffer from an extremely dry mouth? If in doubt, visit your doctor. They can prescribe you various means, for example to stimulate the functioning of the salivary glands or a drug that prevents tooth decay.