How to Keep Your Mouth From Feeling Dry All the Time

Does your mouth feel like a cotton ball all the time? It may be because you don’t make enough saliva.

What causes a decreased production of saliva? Does getting older decrease your saliva production? Does chewing gum improve your saliva production?

How important is saliva? Have you ever woken up in a pool of drool? What does that mean? Hang on because you may be surprised at the answers to these and other mouthy questions.

First of all, you’re making saliva all day long. Even when you sleep. Do you have any idea of how much saliva a healthy person makes in an average day? Try four to eight cups! Both these facts point to the idea that the body thinks saliva is pretty important. And what’s in it anyway? One reference states, “More than 99% of saliva is water. The rest of it is minerals, proteins, and other things that help your mouth fight off infections and stay healthy.” So what causes decreased saliva production?

One cause is a side effect of radiation therapy for cancer of the head or neck area. But the major cause is getting older. About 30% of the population aged 65 years and older has a saliva deficiency. That’s compared to 10% of young people. And the amount of saliva is not the only thing that changes with aging. The composition of it also changes. This is so consistent that because of the composition changes, scientists at UCLA can determine how old a person is simply by analyzing their saliva. The police can use this to catch the bad guys. For instance, detectives could find out how old a crook is if he left spit on a coffee cup. But aging isn’t the only issue.

In addition, certain diseases and medications can cause the problem. These include diabetes, depression, Sjögren’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Drugs that cause it include diuretics, antihistamines, NSAIDs, pain medications, decongestants, anti-hypertensives, anti-depressants, and muscle relaxants. The same paper goes on to say, “The consequences of untreated dry mouth are severe limitations of masticatory [chewing] function and speech, and increased risk of developing caries, periodontal diseases, and fungal infections.” So if you have any of these conditions or take any of these medications, you’re at risk for the problem. But here are some other questions you might have about saliva.

What about nighttime drooling? That can’t be a good thing. You can relax about this. It’s actually pretty common. Here’s why. At night, the part of your body that controls swallowing slows down a little. But the part that makes saliva doesn’t. So it’s not unusual for some saliva to end up on your pillow, especially if you have been in the deeper levels of sleep. And how about chewing gum? Is that a good or bad thing?

Leaving aside what’s in the gum (like sugar or artificial sweeteners and other chemicals) chewing gum is a good thing because it stimulates saliva production. So besides chewing gum and getting off saliva-reducing medications, what else can you do to help with the problem?

For one, you can get artificial saliva. There are all kinds of choices out there, but most of them are simply sweeteners with mint or other flavorings and are nothing at all like the real thing. There are, however, two choices out there that make more sense.

One is Biotène rinse. It contains beneficial enzymes, xylitol, zinc, lactoferrin, aloe vera, and calcium. All of these ingredients are great for oral health. But unfortunately, that’s not all it contains. The second ingredient in Biotène is propylene glycol. The other name for propylene glycol is antifreeze. In addition, it contains poloxamer 407 and sodium benzoate. I can’t tell you if these chemicals in mouthwash are all that harmful, but I wish they would have left them out.

One study looked at 20 elderly men and women with moderate to severe dry mouth complaints. The authors of that study concluded that, “Biotène products were also found to be effective in the treatment of both severe and moderate symptoms of xerostomia [the ten-dollar word for dry mouth]. Biotène saliva substitutes are an acceptable and effective method of treatment for elderly people suffering from dry mouth.” But even leaving aside the issue of propylene glycol and other chemicals, Biotène is not my favorite treatment.

Instead, I recommend Liquid Hyaluronic Acid from NOW Foods. You have heard me talk about hyaluronic acid many times before. It’s one of several glycosaminoglycans molecules in the body. Hyaluronic acid is critical for the function and integrity of every tissue in the body. That’s because it is an extremely high-weight molecular polymer that provides hydration by retaining water in the tissues. It’s the main lubricating element in the human body.

For example, it can be used to prevent the dehydration of the skin that so commonly occurs as we get older and our ability to make hyaluronic acid decreases. But that’s the same thing that goes on in the saliva. It loses its hyaluronic acid content, and the result is a decrease in saliva water content, causing a chronically dry mouth.

So if you find that for whatever reason your mouth seems to be chronically dry, this is something I would like you to try. Make sure to drink at least two quarts of water a day. If you are taking medications that cause dry mouth, talk with your doctor about natural alternatives. Get in the habit of using chewing gum regularly. And take Liquid Hyaluronic Acid whenever you need to.