How Can Dry Mouth, Which Can Lead to Multiple Cavities, Be Prevented at Sunyudo Dental Clinic?

Hello, I’m Kim Min-young, a specialist in restorative dentistry at Sunyudo Dental Clinic.

In March, when the late cold snap still lingers,

many people pay extra attention to their health.

During seasonal transitions, some people especially experience

various symptoms due to changes in the oral environment.

Do you often feel like your mouth is dry and sticky,

or have difficulty swallowing food?

Some people may also find that their voice does not come out well when speaking,

or that they reach for water more often than usual.

Many people think that drinking a lot of water will help,

but dry mouth may be a problem with the saliva secretion function itself,

so it is important to first find the root cause.

Sunyudo Dental Clinic Restorative Dentistry Specialist Kim Min-young

1. What is dry mouth?

It refers to symptoms of a dry mouth caused by a significant decrease in saliva secretion.

Saliva plays an important role in suppressing bacteria

and aiding digestion,

and when this function declines, it can lead beyond discomfort

to various diseases.

So why does this happen?

One of the main causes is medication use,

and it is often observed in people taking blood pressure medication,

antidepressants, antihistamines, and the like.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare reports that about 30% of seniors aged 65 and older in Korea

experience these symptoms.

Salivary gland function also declines with aging,

and systemic diseases such as diabetes and Sjögren’s syndrome

can also be causes.

As the condition progresses, beyond thirst,

it becomes difficult to chew and swallow food,

and the voice easily becomes hoarse when speaking.

In particular, many people wake up during the night,

and some may feel an unpleasant taste

when they wake up in the morning.

About 40% of these patients may also experience

a burning sensation or changes in taste.

Sunyudo Dental Clinic Restorative Dentistry Specialist Kim Min-young

2. Why it should not be left untreated

Because the self-cleansing action of saliva is reduced,

bacteria multiply rapidly,

which significantly increases the risk of cavities.

The risk of periodontal disease also increases,

and in severe cases, inflammation or bad breath may also occur,

affecting social life as well.

Normally, healthy saliva secretion is more than 0.3 ml per minute,

and if it is less than this,

treatment is recommended.

What Sunyudo Dental Clinic considers

most important in treatment is identifying the cause.

Blood pressure medications and antidepressants often contain

ingredients that suppress saliva secretion,

so the medications being taken are reviewed first.

Once the cause is identified, appropriate treatment is provided,

and medications to promote saliva secretion

may also be prescribed.

These medications stimulate the salivary glands to encourage saliva production,

and artificial saliva also effectively helps relieve dryness.

3. Lifestyle improvements and management methods

Chewing sugar-free gum is a good way to

promote saliva secretion,

and drinking water little by little and frequently

instead of drinking a lot at once is also helpful.

However, caffeine and alcohol can actually cause dehydration,

so it is best to avoid them.

Spicy or salty foods can irritate the mucous membranes,

so frequent consumption should be avoided,

and soft, moist foods are helpful.

When eating dairy products, eggs, fruits, and meals,

it is also important to develop the habit of eating slowly.

Smoking further suppresses saliva secretion,

so Sunyudo Dental Clinic strongly recommends quitting smoking,

and because the risk of oral disease is higher,

we advise that you manage it through regular checkups.

As such, dry mouth is related to various factors such as medication use, systemic disease, and aging,

so an accurate diagnosis must come first.

With proper treatment and lifestyle improvements,

you can regain your health.

It is also essential to prevent secondary problems such as cavities and periodontal disease

through regular checkups,

and rather than leaving the problem untreated,

please seek consultation with medical staff early.

Oral health is directly connected to overall health,

so do not overlook even small problems and maintain your health through proper care.

Thank you for reading this long post.

I will come back next time with a more interesting and informative article.

This was Kim Min-young, a specialist in restorative dentistry at Sunyudo Dental Clinic.

Thank you.