Foods That Can Help Improve Dehydration in Your Mouth
Posted on 7/23/2020 by LDAoffice |
 Occasionally, everyone experiences a dry mouth. However, this can also be a chronic condition known simply as dry mouth, or medically as xerostomia and hyposalivation. Chronic dry mouth can cause various other oral health issues, including tooth decay, bleeding or swollen gums, and chronic bad breath (halitosis). These conditions can eventually result in tooth loss, loss of bone mass in the jawbone, and advanced gum disease (periodontitis). The good news is that you can prevent the symptoms of dry mouth, including the loss of confidence that can come with them. One way of doing this is to choose foods that help rehydrate your mouth.
Foods that Help Improve Dry Mouth
Regardless of the cause of dry mouth, the resulting effect is insufficient production of saliva. Therefore, anything that increases saliva in the mouth will fight xerostomia. In addition to other lifestyle changes like smoking cessation, limiting alcohol intake, and drinking plenty of water, you can also make dietary changes that will help fight dehydration in the mouth. In particular, the extra chewing forces involved with eating crunchy vegetables and fruits will trigger saliva production. These foods include carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, apples, and pears. Sucking on sugarless candy or chewing sugarless gum will also increase saliva production.
Foods to Avoid with Dry Mouth
In addition to foods you can eat to increase saliva production, there are also foods that you should avoid in order to keep symptoms under control. Avoiding these foods won't necessarily rehydrate your mouth, but limiting them significantly can help reduce the symptoms of dry mouth and their contribution to other oral health issues. For instance, crunchy or chewy breads tend to dry out your mouth, even though it takes stronger chewing forces to eat them. Other foods that can contribute to oral health issues caused by dry mouth include salty, acidic, and spicy foods that can result in sores and ulcers when there is not sufficient saliva in the mouth. In addition, sugary foods have a better chance of lingering in your mouth and causing tooth decay when your mouth is dry. To learn more about dietary habits and chronic dry mouth, give us a call to schedule an appointment.
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