Dry mouth

Diagnosis

To pinpoint the cause of your dry mouth, your healthcare provider will carefully review your medical history and assess the medications you are taking, including any over-the-counter drugs. They will also conduct an examination of your oral cavity.

In certain cases, additional tests may be required to assess saliva production, perform imaging scans of your salivary glands, or conduct blood tests. These diagnostic procedures can help identify the underlying cause of your dry mouth. If Sjogren’s syndrome is suspected as the culprit, your doctor might recommend a biopsy, where a small sample of cells is taken from your lip’s salivary glands for testing.

Treatment

The cause of your dry mouth will determine how you are treated. Your doctor might:

• Modify medications that cause dry mouth. Your doctor may adjust your dosage if they believe that one of your medications is the problem. Alternately, you can try a different medication that doesn’t produce dry mouth.
• Provide recommendations for oral moisturizers. These goods may include prescription medications, over-the-counter mouthwashes, artificial saliva, or moisturizers to keep your mouth lubricated. Mouthwashes with xylitol, in particular, that are intended for dry mouth can be useful. Act Dry Mouth Mouthwash and Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse are two examples.

In cases of severe dry mouth resulting from Sjogren’s syndrome or head and neck cancer radiation therapy, your healthcare provider may suggest the use of medications such as pilocarpine to stimulate saliva production. Additionally, if you are diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, your doctor may prescribe cevimeline to help increase saliva production.