8 Ways to Eliminate Cottonmouth
Having dry mouth is uncomfortable but can also cause serious damage to your teeth. When you suffer from dry mouth or cottonmouth, what happens is you don’t produce the necessary amount of saliva that would keep your mouth moist. This is a problem because saliva wipes bacteria off of your teeth; when you don’t have the appropriate amount of saliva your teeth will start to decay rapidly.
If you do suffer from dry mouth you should get cleanings more regularly.
In the interim here are 8 ways to help alleviate your dry mouth:
1. Hydrate
This may sound silly but you’re most likely not drinking the recommended amount of water.
2. Limit your caffeine intake
Caffeine dehydrates you and it can also make your mouth drier.
3. Chew sugarless gum and sugarless candies.
These two solutions can provide short-term relief. Some gum contains xylitol, which helps stimulate saliva production.
4. Improve your oral health
Dry mouth may be both a symptom and a cause of poor oral hygiene. This includes flossing at least 1x per day, using fluoride toothpaste, using mouthwash and going to your hygienist more frequently.
5. Avoid breathing through your mouth
Mouth-breathing can make dry mouth worse and cause other oral health problems.
Try breathing through your nose more often than your mouth, especially when experiencing any dry mouth discomfort.
6 .Use a humidifier
Creating humidity may help dry mouth simply by adding more moisture to your environment. It can also help improve sleep and reduce discomfort.
7. Herbal remedies
Many herbs are sialagogue, meaning they can help stimulate saliva production. Below are some of the herbs that can help you produce more saliva:
Aloe vera is a great option, either the gel or the juice will do.
Ginger
Hollyhock root (it’s a moisturizing plant like aloe)
Marshmallow root (it’s a moisturizing plant like aloe)
Nopal cactus/ prickly pear cactus
Spilanthes
Sweet pepper
8. Over the counter saliva substitutes
Many pharmacies have a selection of saliva substitute brands that you can purchase.
Remember, these are solutions for short term relief. They will not cure the cause of your dry mouth.
The Ultimate Invisalign FAQ’s
The most asked questions we get about Invisalign.
What’s great about Invisalign is that you get to live an *almost* normal life. We say almost normal because having engineered plastic in your mouth for 22 hours a day is not necessarily normal. You can do almost anything in your clear aligners, and there are some things you should avoid.
Here are our most asked questions and answers in regards to Invisalign clear aligners.
What foods should I avoid with Invisalign?
We get asked this a lot. Think of it this way, if the food can affect your teeth then it will affect your clear aligners. Your aligners aren’t made out of steel. It’s not a Tony Stark super suit. When you have your aligners in you should avoid hard, sticky, or chewy foods. It’s kind of the same as if you had traditional wire braces, but if you don’t want to damage your aligners you can always take them out when you’re eating. Just make sure you don’t hide them in a napkin, because you might accidentally throw them out and we don’t want you dumpster diving for your aligners.
If it can chip a tooth it can chip your Invisaligns. So avoid things like very crusty bread (I know, I too love bread), hard nuts and seeds, jawbreakers, and chewing ice. You should also avoid sugary foods because they feed bacteria that lives in your mouth and it will promote tooth decay and bad breath. So if you do want to indulge, make sure you clean your aligners and teeth afterwards.
What can stain my Invisalign?
Again, if it can stain your teeth it will 100% stain your clean aligners. I’m looking at my coffee, tea, and wine drinkers. If you are going to drink coffee, tea,wine, soda, or any other beverage that stains, make sure you clean your aligners after.
Smoking both tobacco and marajuana products with also stain your aligners.
Can I still wear lipstick ?
Yes, but it’s all about the right product. We find that matte lipsticks work the best and will not leave a mark on your aligners. And when it does leave a mark, matte lipsticks are easy to clean off.
Can you kiss with Invisalign braces in?
We have been asked this question more times than you can imagine.
Yes, you can kiss with clear aligners in. Remember that cool scan that was done in the office , the one where you were able to see the progression of how your teeth will shift with Invisalign. Well, because of this scan your aligners will fit absolutely perfectly. Most people do not experience any issues because the clear aligners are so mouth and are designed to fit perfectly to your teeth. The will not more so they will not dislodge while kissing.
How do I clean my Invisalign?
How to Clean your Invisalign aligners
You’ve gone to the dentist, you got your treatment plan for your Invisalign aligners and now you are on your journey for picture perfect straight teeth. Great! One thing that people forget to do, or don’t even think about, is to clean them.
Yes, you do dispose of the aligners every few weeks but they still require cleaning. Think about it, you wear these retainers all day long and you sleep in them. Your mouth is filled with hundreds of bacteria which means so are your aligners. Excess food particles and bacteria can make your aligners appear dirty and have an order. Therefore you should clean them at least once a day.
So how do I keep my Invisalign clean?
Invisalign has a product that they recommend to use (ask your dentist about this option). This product is called the “Steraligner”. It is made out of rubbing alcohol and sodium bicarbonate, a natural antiseptic.
It is very simple to use this cleaner. All you have to do is place them in the tray and soak for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, you rinse the sterilizing solution off, and brush with warm water.
Invisalign also sells a product called “cleaning crystals” (ask your dentist about this option) that you dissolve in water and soak your aligners in.
If you don’t want to use Invisalign’s cleaning agents here are some other options:
Clean with Mouthwash
Some patients like to soak their trays in mouthwash to clean them. It’s important to note that Listerine Cool Mint may leave a greenish tint on your trays. Using whitening mouthwash can sidestep this issue since the liquid is clear.
Clean with Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is used mainly for its bacteria-killing power, that’s why we put it in our open wounds. Make a solution with half peroxide and half water and let your trays soak for 20 minutes.
Clean with Vinegar
Same thing as hydrogen peroxide. Just make a solution with half vinegar, half warm water and let them soak while you’re having a meal. Take them out, brush and rinse them off and let them dry before you put them back in your mouth.
Why should I floss, isn't brushing enough?
Chances are when you go see your dentist and your hygenist you hear the question, “have you been flossing?”
For some people, the answer is yes. But most likely you don’t, and here is why you should floss at least once a day.
Your dentist and hygienist are not trying to pry and make you feel guilty about not flossing. They want to make sure you are practicing preventative care. The more preventative care you do at home, the healthier your dental health will be in the long run (meaning you’ll be less likely to have to undergo major dental operations).
So what does flossing have to do with my overall oral health?
Floss is an interdental cleaner, which means it is designed specifically to clean the tight spaces between the teeth. Now you might be thinking, “well doesn’t a toothbrush clean in between the teeth, then what are toothbrushes for?” A toothbrush is designed to clean the outer surfaces of the teeth and gums.
If you are simply only brushing your teeth those nooks and crannies are left uncleaned. What is left in these nooks and crannies are plaque and excess food particles. Why is it bad to have plaque on your teeth? Dental plaque left in between your teeth produces an acid that destroys your gums and your teeth.
If that doesn’t convince you here are 5 reasons why you should add flossing to your dental routine today:
1. Flossing and brushing are more effective than brushing alone
Adding flossing to your routine will give you optimal results that brushing alone cannot achieve. The ADA suggests that flossing before you brush will make brushing your teeth more effective. When there is less plaque between your teeth the fluoride in toothpaste can get to more parts of your teeth.
2. Flossing protects your gums
Do you hate the sound of dental equipment scraping your teeth? By flossing you can reduce the amount of time the hygienist spends scraping away your plaque and tartar build up. When food particles get trapped on your teeth, it leads to plaque and overtime plaque will harden and form tartar, a thick deposit that can only be professionally removed with a scraper. When left untreated it can lead to gum disease, and eventually tooth and bone loss.
3. Flossing can save you money
Who doesn’t love saving money? We can all agree that health costs continue to rise and insurance benefits continue to diminish. This means more out of pocket payments for visits to health professionals. With preventative actions, such as making flossing a habit, you are less likely to find yourself in need of costly treatments.
4. Flossing helps prevent other diseases
The bacteria that lives inside an unhealthy mouth can be harmful to the rest of the body, which can lead to heart disease, respiratory illness, and diabetes. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, so if your dental health is a contributing factor, flossing once a day is a simple step to help with your long-term health.
5. Brighter whiter teeth
So how can flossing make your teeth look whiter? When you floss your teeth you remove plaque and excess food particles. By removing the excess food particles and plaque your teeth will look brighter.
So, the important step of flossing can do much more than keep your smile, dentist, and hygienist happy and healthy. Let us know if you’re still not convinced.