What are the Complications of Drymouth ?

Read about Complications of Drymouth Disease presented in simple easy to understand language

Dry Mouth Complications
Dry mouth (xerostomia) is a condition which will occur when too saliva is produced by the salivary glands. This saliva is required to taste the food, for swallowing it and for speech. And also it is helpful in preventing the mouth infection, decaying of the tooth. This is done by minimizing the acid and by cleaning the teeth and the gums.

Complications of the Dry Mouth can be minimized by taking care of oral hygiene such as
• Try to clean your mouth and teeth at least 3 times a day.
• Try to floss once a day.
• Try to use fluoride toothpaste for brushing.
• Try to apply the fluoride gel once a day at bedtime.
• Try to rinse your mouth 4 to 6 times a day with a solution of salt and baking soda.
• Try to avoid foods lot of sugar.
• Sip water to relieve mouth dryness.
• Try to use saliva substitutes to stimulate the salivary glands.

Depending on the cause of dry mouth complications vary form mild to severe
• Mucositis.
• Difficulty in wearing dentures.
• Candidiasis.
• Dental caries.
• Thicker and stringy saliva.
• Difficulty in the production of saliva from the ducts of the major salivary glands.
• Loss of moist, glistening of the oral mucosa.
• Dryness of oral mucous membranes.
• Thin and pale appearance of oral mucosa.
• Cheilitis.
• Gingivitis.
• Cracked, bleeding tissues
• Increased thirst.
• Changes in taste, swallowing, and speech.
• A sore or burning feeling
• Changes in the surface of the tongue.

Effect of Chemotherapy Treatment
Chemotherapy does not cause severe dry mouth complications, the complications caused by this treatment will be healed automatically after the treatment ends. Or it may occur for months to years after the therapy. The complications include the open sores, severe lesions which may require medical treatment.

Effect of Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy will create the complications of the dry mouth and may cause the permanent tissue damage which may result in chronic problems. Production of the saliva will drop within a week after starting the therapy. The harshness of dry mouth depends on the dose of radiation used. The salivary glands affected by the radiation may not be able to recover at all. And the glands which were not irradiated may become active and will start to produce the saliva.