To Treat Dry Mouth Newfoundlands Si Worth Checking Out

By Ryan Reed


Saliva is one component in the mouth that is often taken for granted. It is even easier to think that saliva serves no purpose and one is better off without it. That line of thinking is hugely mistaken and grossly wrong. Saliva does many functions in the oral cavity that its absence is a disease in itself. Lack of or decreased synthesis of saliva in the mouth results in a disease called dry mouth or xerostomia. To get treatment for dry mouth Newfoundlands is the best place to go.

Like stated above, saliva has many functions inside the bucal cavity. First, it is an important lubricant, which provides comfort and protection to oral tissues. Lubrication helps to avoid development of effects of friction such as sores and ulcers. The substance also neutralizes acids inside the oral cavity and kills certain harmful bacteria. The sense of taste is highly dependent on saliva and without it, it would be hard to perceive taste in food.

Advanced stages of xerostomia cause malnutrition in patients and most of them become unable to speak or they have trouble doing so. Irreversible oral cavity and throat damage is caused if the condition persists for long or when it is at extreme stages. The disease can impair quality of life a lot when it reaches such stages. Damage caused is easily visible when the mouth is opened.

In the world over, xerostomia is more prevalent among women than it is among men. This is so because causes or risk factors for the condition are also more prevalent in women. Old people are also at higher risk of developing the disease because they take a lot of prescription and nonprescription medications more frequently. Many kinds of medications produce xerostomia as a side effect.

There are many causes for xerostomia, which may act singly or in combination. Drugs are among them. The condition is produced as a side effect of certain drugs. Such drugs include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, diuretics, antihistamines, and antidepressants. Additional causes are breathing through the mouth, hormonal imbalance, sleep apnea, autoimmune disorders, salivary gland diseases, and diabetes. Eating disorder among other factors are risk factors for the disease. Dehydration and changes in hormones happen during pregnancy and breastfeeding, resulting in the condition.

The manifestation of xerostomia happens through many different signs. Signs are more noticeable at night and are stronger in mouth-breathers. Among the major signs include difficulty in tasting food, eating, speaking, and swallowing. Additional signs include headaches, pale gums, bad breath, dizziness, sores in the mouths, dry eyes and throat, cracked lips, and persistent coughs among several others.

Preventing xerostomia is not possible. The only thing that doctors can do is to minimize the resultant side effects. Side effects can be severe in certain cases. For that reason, the disease needs to be detected when it is still in its early stages so that adverse side effects are not felt.

Treatment is done in stages depending on the level of severity. In serious stages of the disease, surgery may be done to unblock salivary glands. First-line treatments include saliva substitution and stimulation. In most cases, these two options do well and there is no need for surgery.




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