UNDERSTANDING DRY MOUTH
Saliva is crucial to lubricating the mouth and throat. Xerostomia or dry mouth is a condition consisting of insufficient saliva in the mouth (hyposalivation) and is usually accompanied by a difference in composition of the saliva (amount of minerals and proteins). Salivary gland hypofunction has been defined as any objectively demonstrable reduction in whole and/or individual gland flow rates. An unstimulated whole saliva flow rate in a normal person is 0.3-0.4 ml per minute whereas below 0.1 ml per minute is abnormal. Reduction of 50% of saliva production usually results in the sensation of dry mouth. In the US, about 70 million suffer from it. One out of three persons over the age of 45 has dry mouth.1,800 Medications we take cause dry mouth.
Dry mouth causes a whole host of problems. There is difficulty in swallowing and eating. Dry vocal chords cause difficulty in speaking. Thirst is a common complaint. There is soreness of throat and mouth. Coatings occur on the tongue. Cracked lips, parched tongue, and parched mouth, bad breath are additional complaints.
Without adequate saliva, a host of oral health problems occur. Cavities increase because of the lack of saliva to wash away bacteria and to neutralize the acids that are produced by bacteria. Gingivitis (inflamed and bleeding gums) is a major problem - which can lead to inflammation in the rest of the body since the mouth is the gateway to the blood stream. Inflammation in the arteries lead to coronary problems (heart attacks). Periodontitis, the next higher level of gum inflammation, lead to loss of teeth. Mouth sores and fungal infections of the gums become more common. Thus, dry mouth is a very serious condition.
There are a number of common causes of dry mouth. The number one cause is medications: 75% of prescription drugs and many over-the-counter drugs have dry mouth as a side effect(1,800 medications result in dry mouth). Older Americans who take multiple drugs will experience dry mouth. Diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes cause dry mouth. Head and neck injuries which damage nerves to the salivary glands result in dry mouth. Treatment for head and neck cancers will result in dry mouth due to the damage caused by radiation and chemotherapy. Tobacco use is often associated with dry mouth. Drug addiction to methamphetamine will result in "meth mouth".
Over-the-counter medications for colds, allergy and pain are often implicated in dry mouth (e.g., Benadryl, Claritin, Imodium, Rolaids, Motrin, Zantac). Prescription drugs for many medical problems result in dry mouth: pain, osteoporosis, anxiety, high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, depression, allergies, cholesterol, ulcer, urinary incontinence, diabetes, prostate, ADD/ADHD. Drugs affecting these problems associated with dry mouth are:
- Anorexiant
- Antiacid/Gastric ulcers
- Antiacne
- Antianxiety
- Anticholinergic/Analgesic
- Antispasmodic
- Anticonvulsant
- Antidepressant
- Antidiarrheal
- Antiemetic
- Antihistamine
- Antihypertensive
- Anti-inflammatory
- Analgesic
- Anti-nauseant
- Anti-Parkinson
- Bronchodilator
- Cholesterol Reducing
- Decongestant
- Diuretic
- Hormone therapy
- Muscle Relaxant
- Narcotic Analgesic/anti-inflammatory
There are various typical remedies for dry mouth. This includes drinking water or liquids - which are temporary relief and necessitates carrying around water and frequent trips to the bathroom. Sugar-free gum and candy help to some extent. The most common remedies include lubricating mouth rinses which offer temporary relief. The difficulty is the inconvenience of carrying around a mouth rinse and finding a place to use it. Lubricating sprays is another alternative; however, sprays offer only temporary relief. There are prescription drugs such as pilocarpine or cevimeline which can stimulate saliva production if the salivary glands are still functional. Drugs do have their own side effects since they affect more than the salivary glands. There is a new alternative which offers long acting relief - Salese lozenges.
An ideal product for dry mouth should have the following characteristics:
- Continuous, long-lasting relief of the dryness is the key attribute of an ideal product
- Eliminates oral health problems associated with dry mouth
- Captures volatile sulfur compounds produced by bacteria which causes bad breath (halitosis)
- Reduce bacterial levels in mouth (cause of gingivitis, periodontitis, and cavities)
- Eliminate acidic condition of mouth, caused by bacteria, which causes cavities
- Stimulates saliva production
- Lasts long enough in the mouth to accomplish above points
- Can be used anywhere, anytime - convenient to carry
Salese is a product for dry mouth that offers key attributes described above. Salese is a long acting lozenge that continuously release ingredients which give the moist mouth feel. The lozenge offers long lasting relief since the moisturizing ingredients are released over an hour in the mouth and offers relief for several hours. Salese is ideal for oral health since it contains xylitol to inhibit bacterial growth as well as peppermint which is anti-bacterial. Salese also has bicarbonate which neutralizes the acids from bacteria which causes cavities. In addition, Salese contains zinc to capture volatile sulfur compounds which causes bad breath. Salese is available from Nuvorainc.com.
