Dry Mouth at Night: Causes, Prevention, and Expert Treatments

Your mouth cannot function correctly without saliva. Saliva keeps your mouth moist, allows you to break down food, and helps you swallow. It also has cleansing properties. It cleans your mouth and teeth continuously, preventing decay while also requiring regular dental x-rays for thorough assessment. 

Dry mouth (xerostomia) is a disorder that reduces the flow of saliva, making your mouth feel dry.  It's a typical issue, frequently caused by dehydration, medication side effects, or sleeping with your mouth open.

we specialize in treating oral health issues such as dry mouth. Our advanced solutions are designed to restore moisture, improve your smile with services like professional teeth whitening and enhance your smile with cosmetic dentistry and preserve your teeth and gums so you wake up feeling refreshed.

. In this blog, you will learn about the causes, symptoms, and best treatments for dry mouth at night.

What Is Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia (zeer-o-STOE-me-uh), happens if the salivary glands in the oral cavity don't produce sufficient saliva to keep the mouth moist. A disease directly impacting the salivary glands is a less common cause of dry mouth. Additionally, you might have a temporary dry mouth if you're thirsty or nervous about something.

However, when dry mouth persists, it can make tasting, chewing, swallowing, and even speaking difficult. A dry mouth also increases the risk of tooth decay requiring extractions or fungal infections because saliva helps keep harmful germs in check.

It may also raise the chance of dental caries, tooth sensitivity, tooth demineralization, and oral infections.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth at Night

Symptoms of dry mouth are as follows:

• Bad breath can be due to insufficient salivary production

• Cheilitis, or swelling, splitting, and bursting of the lips

• Fracturing and splitting of the oral mucosa, or the innermost layer of the cheeks and lips, causes the skin at the outer edges of the mouth to split or become irritated

• Dysgeusia, or taste issues

• Infections caused by fungus in the mouth, like oral thrush

• Glossodynia, or tongue soreness

• Frequent thirst, particularly during the night

• Chronic inflammation of the tongue or ulcers

• More common gum recession

• Increased tooth decay and plaque

• Having trouble speaking

• Issues with swallowing and chewing, particularly with dry and crumbly foods like crackers or cereals

• Difficulties wearing dentures, issues with maintaining the prosthesis in place, denture sores, and the tongue clinging to the upper part of the mouth

• Sialadenitis, a disease of the salivary gland

• A dry or painful throat

When not properly treated, dry mouth can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and oral infections due to a lack of saliva’s natural cleansing and protective properties. Taking care of it early will prevent long-term dental complications, especially with regular family dentistry checkups.

Causes of Dry Mouth at Night 

The following are some possible causes of dry mouth:

Medications:	Dry mouth can result from some prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants, antidiarrheal medications, high blood pressure medications, urinary incontinence drugs, muscle relaxers, some Parkinson’s disease medications, and antidepressants.
Aging:	Although dry mouth is not a common symptom of aging, older people use more prescription medications than the general population, and many of these drugs could lead to dry mouth.
Cancer treatment:	According to Cancer Research, radiation exposure to the head and neck might damage the salivary glands. Then, it leads to reduced saliva production. Chemotherapy may also affect the nature and amount of saliva produced by the body.
Tobacco and Dehydration:	Chewing or smoking tobacco raises the chance of suffering from dry mouth. Another factor causing dry mouth is insufficient water intake.
Exercising or playing in the heat:	The salivary glands might get dry as natural fluids accumulate somewhere else in the body. Dry mouth is more probable to occur after hours of workout or play.
Medical conditions:	Several medical disorders, including diabetes, stroke, oral yeast infections, and Alzheimer's disease, can cause dry mouth. Alternatively, autoimmune conditions like Sjogren syndrome or HIV/AIDS may be the cause of dry mouth.
Mouth breathing:	Breathing from your mouth rather than your nose while sleeping could result in a dry mouth at night. Nighttime mouth breathing can be due to clogged nasal passages and is related to sleep apnea.

How to Prevent Dry Mouth at Night

Saliva not only helps digestion and allows you to eat and drink properly, but it is also a natural mouth cleaner. Tooth decay and gum disease are particularly likely to occur in the absence of saliva. If you have a dry mouth, you must be more careful about maintaining proper oral hygiene routines, which include:

Stay Hydrated: 

Any person who has a dry mouth must make sure they are getting sufficient fluids. Drinking water all day can help avoid moderate dehydration, which may cause dry mouth. Sipping water gradually and consistently during the day can help prevent digestive issues caused by drinking too much water all at once. 

Use a Humidifier: 

When someone spends much of time indoors, they could realize that the dry air worsens their dry mouth problems. Many people benefit from using a humidifier in the areas they're in the most. A humidifier can help maintain the airways and mouth wet, thereby preventing a dry mouth.

Avoid Alcohol and Tobacco:  

Moderate to severe drinking of alcohol might cause thirst and dry mouth. If you suffer from dry mouth, reduce your alcohol intake to avoid it when you sleep. Additionally, using tobacco products might cause dry mouth. Hence, stopping tobacco products and smoking might minimize dry mouth at night.

Treatments for Dry Mouth at Night 

Dry mouth treatment is based on numerous factors, including whether the person has an underlying condition or disease, or is taking specific medications that could lead to dry mouth. When an underlying cause is identified, taking certain steps can lower its impact.

• Medications: If a medicine is suspected of causing dry mouth, the healthcare professional might decrease the dosage or prescribe another medication with a lower risk of producing dry mouth.

• Stimulating saliva production: A doctor can recommend pilocarpine (Salagen) or cevimeline (Evoxac) for increasing the production of saliva.

At Clinique Dentaire Carteir , our skilled staff will treat dry mouth, which commonly includes

• increasing the salivary flow

• restoring lost fluids 

• controlling cavities in the teeth

• undertaking specific steps, including treating infections

Someone with a dry mouth needs to maintain good oral and dental hygiene. Frequent tooth brushing and flossing are needed. For damaged teeth, durable solutions like high-quality dental crowns , root canal treatment or long-lasting dental bridges may be recommended.

our expert dentists develop a customized treatment plan based on your specific needs. For complex dental issues, expert oral surgery procedures might be required.

When to See a Dentist

It is recommended to talk with your doctor or a dental professional if you are feeling dry mouth at night, particularly when

• Home treatments and over-the-counter medications don't work

• You're finding it difficult to eat

• It continuously affects your sense of taste

• You find dry mouth is your medication side effect

• You're also experiencing cavity symptoms

• You are dealing with persistent bad breath

• You have mouth sores and dry eyes

• You have to urinate frequently

• Symptoms of gum disease appear (red, swollen, or bleeding gums)

Conclusion

A dry mouth at night can be irritating, painful, and even harmful to your oral health. It is essential to treat the underlying cause of your dry mouth to maintain good oral health.

Many conditions can be treated by making lifestyle and medication improvements. Dry mouth at night occasionally can be an indication of a more serious issue that requires specific treatment. For sudden dental problems, we offer prompt emergency dental clinic services.

Our professional team offers you personalized treatments for dry mouth and other oral health issues. Don’t let the dryness of the night get in the way of your health; schedule a free consultation today to find out how to get expert care customized to your unique needs.

To get started, visit our Contact Us page!