How to Stop Waking Up With Dry Mouth

Having a dry mouth in the morning is an extremely unpleasant thing. Your breath is pretty raw, you have a deep desire to drink some water, and you wonder why it’s happening. 

It’s relatively normal to have this happen every once in a while. The state of your mouth depends on your nightly routine and what things you consumed the night before waking up. That said, a dry mouth could be a side effect of a deeper problem. 

Whether you have a problem or not, it’s useful to know the cure to waking up with dry mouth. 

Waking Up With Dry Mouth: The Cure

The root problem is a disruption of your mouth’s production of saliva. Saliva exists in our mouths, first and foremost, to protect our teeth. 

It neutralizes the acids that come as a result of bacteria in our mouth. This prevents the growth of that bacteria and serves to clear out some of the food particles that we build up during the day. Getting rid of that bacteria keeps our teeth white.

Again, it’s normal to have a little flux in the way our mouths make saliva. When the production goes down the drain, we wake up with a dry mouth. 

Other symptoms include general stickiness, a thickness of saliva, bad breath, problems with the throat, and an altered sense of taste. 

Taking care of the issue is difficult because it usually comes as a result of a deeper problem. The cure to dry mouth, then, is to identify those problems and address them. Here are a few possible causes:

Smoking and Drinking

Smoking cigarettes (or anything, for that matter) can seriously contribute to dry mouth. The nicotine in cigarettes can lead to the slowing of your saliva flow. Alternatively, smoking can thicken your saliva. 

Both thickening and slowing of flow in salvia will contribute to bad breath because the saliva doesn’t have the same chance of breaking down bacteria.

Aging

Aging is one problem that, for better or worse, has no cure yet. As we age, our salivary glands begin to lose their power. It’s just a natural process.

Not everyone loses salivary flow as they age, though, and the symptoms could be a result of some of the problems listed below.

Medications and Cancer Treatment

A lot of general medications (over the counter and prescribed) contribute to a dry mouth. Drugs used to treat depression and anxiety are two of the most common ones. 

Further, blood pressure medications, antihistamines, pain pills, and decongestants can all contribute. Cancer treatments, especially chemotherapy, can have temporary effects on your salivary glands. 

This is particularly true for radiation treatments when they’re applied to the head and neck.

Dry Mouth Leading to Stains on Your Teeth?

Waking up with dry mouth is immediately uncomfortable. It’s important to remember that when you have dry mouth, your teeth are lacking an essential tool that cleans them. 

If you’re looking for more tips for improving oral health or need dental work done, contact us to learn more. 

source https://www.golsendental.com/how-to-stop-waking-up-with-dry-mouth/