Dry mouth can be a situational problem — like getting nervous before making a speech — or a chronic problem. Chronic dry mouth occurs when saliva glands don’t work properly. Chronic dry mouth could be caused by medication or chemotherapy, it could be nerve damage from a head or neck injury, or it could be a disease that affects the saliva glands themselves.
If you do experience chronic dry mouth, you should talk to your doctor or dentist. But for situational dry mouth (or while you’re waiting to see your health care professional) you can try these tips:
- Sip water often. Don’t like water? Stick to sugarless drinks. Keep a bottle handy and be sure to sip throughout the day. The more you sip, the less dry your mouth will feel. I keep a water bottle on my desk in the office and another one on my nightstand, so there’s always water at arm’s length if I need it.
- Avoid caffeine, as it can dry the mouth further. That means skip the coffee, tea, and soda.
- Avoid tobacco, as it can dry the mouth further. Quitting smoking might be enough to solve problems with dry mouth.
- Avoid alcohol, as it can dry the mouth further.
- Chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva production.
- Suck on sugar-free candies to stimulate saliva production. Citrus is a good choice for making your glands go to work! Also try cinnamon and mint for the breath-freshening bonus.
- Sniff your favorite spices to make your mouth water — kitchen scents like basil, ginger, and garlic can encourage saliva production.
- During meals, be sure to sip plenty of water (or a sugarless drink). This will make chewing and swallowing easier.
- Watch out for salty and/or spicy foods — in a dry mouth, these foods can be painful.
- Use a humidifier at night. This will help keep your mouth and nasal passages hydrated.