Dry Mouth Home Remedies

For some people, the sensation of having a mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert is simply an infrequent nuisance. For others, it's quite a serious problem, says John J. Caimi, D.M.D., a dentist from Ridgway, Pennsylvania, who has been in practice for more than 23 years. Mouth dryness, officially known as xerostomia, can be really debilitating, he says. If left untreated, it can lead to painful mouth sores, rampant tooth decay, and other oral health problems. Your mouth needs adequate saliva flow in order to coat and lubricate oral tissues, which in turn helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

According to Dr. Caimi, dry mouth affects a wide variety of people, including older adults whose mouths naturally dry out over time, as well as people who have diabetes, depression, or an autoimmune disease known as Sjögren's syndrome. For cancer patients, dry mouth is often the result of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and a consultation with both the oncologist and the dentist is advised.

Most often though, mouth dryness is a side effect of prescription drugs, says Dr. Caimi. Hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter medications cause mouth dryness, including 6 of the 20 most prescribed medications—fluoxetine (Prozac), amlodipine (Norvasc), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), lisinopril (Zestril), and enalapril (Vasotec).

As the population ages and prescription drugs become more common, dry mouth is becoming more prevalent. Here are some suggestions to help relieve the dryness, preserve soft tissue, and help prevent the tooth decay that results from dry mouth.

The following mouth-moisturizing tips are from the Doctor's Book of Home Remedies.

Give hard candy a try

Suck a piece of sugarless hard candy to stimulate saliva flow, says Dan Peterson, D.D.S., a dentist from Gerig, Nebraska, who has been in practice for more than 25 years and has treated hundreds of patients with dry mouth syndrome. He  recommends citrus- or mint-flavored candies. They can stimulate more saliva flow.

Spray on saliva

For better overall comfort and lubrication of your mouth, try over-the-counter saliva substitutes in the form of rinses, gels, and sprays for people who have chronically dry mouth or little or no salivary action suggests Anne Bosy, a dental hygienist and co-founder and clinical director at the Fresh Breath Clinic in Toronto. These saliva substitutes include many of the same enzymes and minerals as real saliva and help keep mouth tissues lubricated. Use two or three times a day (one of those times being just before bedtime).

Suck on some ice

Ice chips are another source of water, suggests Dr. Caimi. But suck on the ice, don't chew it. Chomping on ice can damage your teeth.

Use mouthwash

Use an antibacterial prescription mouthwash like Periostat or Peridex, which don't contain alcohol or sugar, suggests Dr. Caimi. Alcohol further dries your mouth and can irritate the already sensitive gum tissues. And as most everyone knows, sugar can cause tooth decay and cavities, which will occur even more quickly if you have mouth dryness.

Add moisture to meals

Use sauces and gravies on foods to add more moisture to the foods you eat, suggests Dr. Peterson. A dry mouth can make foods with little moisture taste like pencil shavings. A little moisture makes foods much more palatable. Drinking fluids frequently throughout the meal will increase the moisture content of your mouth, make food easier to swallow, and improve taste sensation.

Avoid irritants

Spicy or salty foods may cause pain in a dry mouth, says Dr. Caimi. Orange juice can be a common culprit because of its high acidic content. As an alternative, look for low-acid orange juice products, which have become more widely available.

Munch on some veggies

Diets high in fiber and bulk also seem to stimulate salivary glands. Bosy suggests eating fibrous foods, such as raw carrots, celery, or apples at mealtimes and as snacks. These rough-textured foods also clean your tongue as you chew and swallow, which is good for overall oral hygiene.