Dry Mouth, Bad Breath and Burning Tongue Syndrome

Saliva makes an important contribution to your oral health. With regards to dry mouth, saliva makes three important contributions. It provides enzymes to help digestion of food. It provides a way to keep acid levels in your mouth at a wholesome level. It provides oxygen that keeps tissues in your mouth healthy.

If you have been diagnosed with dry mouth (Xerostomia), it goes without saying that you have less than the normal level of saliva. Having less saliva means that there is less oxygen getting to the tissues in your mouth. That creates an anaerobic (oxygen “free”) environment, which is exactly the one that sulfur-producing bacteria can grow in rapidly. That means that the bacteria can run rampant in their production of sulfur gases, which are what make your breath bad, in addition to tasting really bad. The “geography” of your tongue, if it has many ridges, grooves, and fissures, and/or fibers that are longer than normal, will also contribute to bad breath.

There are medications available that stimulate the salivary glands to produce saliva rich in oxygen. There are also oral rinses and gels that inhibit the growth of the sulphur compounds. It is important that if you use a tongue scraper, you do so gently. Hard scraping or brushing, will make the tongue’s outer layer very sensitive and may create a condition, prevalent among older people, particularly diabetics, called "burning tongue syndrome." If you are one of these people, you should stay away from alcohol-based mouth washes.

Suggested Treatment for Burning Tongue Syndrome

1. Use only non-alcohol based mouth wash.
2. Avoid mouth wash that contains sodium lauryl sulfate.
3. Avoid drinking juices such as tomato, orange and grapefruit
4. Do not drink coffee.
5. Make sure you have a thorough exam by your family physician to make sure that the cause of your difficulties are not related to diabetes or thyroid disease.
6. Use a soothing gel as prescribed by your dentist.
7. Drink lots of water (8 glasses a day).
8. Follow the directions given to you by your dentist.

Good oral health and general health habits will keep you “on top” of bad breath and other oral health problems.