Ask any Ottawa dentist and they will tell you that saliva is one of the most underappreciated aspects of the human body. It plays an important role and performs many functions inside your mouth, and for your body that you’re unaware of. It moistens and cleanses our mouths; helps digest food, and prevents infections by controlling the bacteria in your mouth. If you had little or no saliva, it would probably warrant a visit to an emergency dentist in Ottawa.
Going to see an emergency dentist in Ottawa about this problem is pretty extreme, though, and is probably unnecessary. Dry mouth is actually very common because there are so many things that can cause it. Medication, dehydration, smoking, surgery, and certain diseases are all potential causes of dry mouth.
If you find that you consistently have dry mouth, you’re at a much higher risk for infections that are fungal or viral in your mouth. These infections will definitely lead to a visit with an emergency dentist in Ottawa because they can be quite serious.
So how does one combat dry mouth? It’s not something that you should let become really serious and then decide to see your Ottawa dentist. While you could certainly find an emergency dentist in Ottawa to help with this, you should never let your dry mouth get so bad that you need one. In fact, it’s something that your dentist can deal with quite effectively early on. Here are a couple of treatments your Ottawa dentist may recommend:
• An oral rinse to increase mouth moisture
• Salagen or Evoxac – a drug that boosts production of saliva
• A prescription home fluoride from your Ottawa dentist
• Artificial saliva to keep your mouth wet
These dentist recommended treatments will greatly help reduce dry mouth. However, there are also a lot of things that can be done without the help of your dentist:
• Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water
• Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless candy
• Avoid carbonated, sugared, or caffeinated drinks
• Use a humidifier in your bedroom at night
• Cut down or cut out smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages
In conjunction with your Ottawa dentist, a treatment plan for dry mouth will consist of one or a variety of these things. With an effective treatment plan, your dry mouth can be easily managed and addressed so that it doesn’t impede your daily life.
