What Can Cause Xerostomia?

Besides being famous for being a center of the sport polo, Lake Forest, Illinois is also prominent for its high standards in education. In fact, the city is home to college preparatory schools that are recognized as some of the best in the country. Many graduates of these schools continue their education at well-respected universities, majoring in prestigious courses such as medicine and dentistry.

Dentistry is actually an advancing field of study in Lake Forest. Dental clinics and hospitals in the city are completely equipped with the latest technology for diagnosis and treatments of dental diseases. One dental disorder dentists in Lake Forest commonly treat is xerostomia, a condition that can cause both bad breath and tooth decay. This condition not only affects the aesthetics of a person’s dental structure, but also affects his or her overall dental health.

Xerostomia is more commonly known as dry mouth. This particular dental condition involves the lack of saliva production, causing the mouth to lose its defenses against bacterial buildup. Although xerosotomia itself is not considered a disease, it can be considered a symptom of a more serious underlying dental problem.

According to dentists Lake Forest, IL, the mouth doesn’t get the nourishment it needs without saliva. Mucous membranes in the mouth gain minerals through the help of saliva. These membranes most likely become weak if a person’s salivary glands are incapacitated.

Dry mouth may be caused by a wide range of factors. The intake of medication is the most common reason why a person suffers from xerostomia. Medicines such as anorexiants, antihypertensives, anticholinergics, and antipsychotics can trigger dry mouth. These medications are proven by dentists Lake Forest to contain substances that may affect an individual’s saliva production.

Dentists Lake Forest, IL also attribute xerostomia to other causes. In some cases, xerostomia is associated with dental disorders such as periodontitis and mouth cancer. These conditions are severe enough to disrupt the system of saliva production, but xerostomia may even worsen when these conditions are treated. Therapy for these diseases also affects the patient’s salivary glands, disrupting the production of saliva in the patient’s mouth.