In short: Dry mouth (too little saliva) raises your risk of cavities, gum disease, bad breath and mouth infections, because saliva normally cleans the mouth, neutralises acid and protects the teeth. Causes include certain medicines, dehydration, mouth-breathing and some conditions. Sipping water, sugar-free gum and treating the cause all help protect your teeth.
Saliva does a lot more than most people realise — it constantly washes away food and bacteria, neutralises the acids that cause decay, and delivers minerals that keep enamel strong. So when the mouth is persistently dry (a condition called xerostomia), dental health suffers. Dry mouth increases the risk of:
- Cavities — without saliva’s protection, decay develops faster and in unusual places.
- Gum disease, as bacteria build up more easily.
- Bad breath.
- Mouth infections like oral thrush, and a sore or burning mouth.
- Difficulty eating, swallowing and wearing dentures.
Common causes include: many medications (a very frequent cause — for blood pressure, allergies, depression and more), dehydration, mouth-breathing (especially at night), smoking/tobacco, diabetes, ageing, and some medical conditions or treatments.
You can protect your teeth against dry mouth by: sipping water often, chewing sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva, using saliva substitutes or dry-mouth products, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and tobacco, keeping up excellent oral hygiene with fluoride, and running a humidifier at night if you mouth-breathe. If a medication is the cause, your doctor may be able to adjust it.
Because dry mouth raises decay risk, more frequent check-ups help catch problems early.
If you often have a dry mouth, book a check-up — we’ll help protect your teeth and find ways to manage it.