Dry Mouth

Salagen (pilocarpine) 5 mgs
Disp     90 tablets
Sig       Take one tablet three times a day ( adjust to lowest dose tolerated and effective)

A dry mouth can be occurring for a variety of reasons; loss of saliva gland function, a change in saliva consistency, medications for hypertension, depression, congestion and systemic diseases such as lupus, diabetes, and Siogren’s syndrome.

While it is often difficult to get, relief here is a list of things you can try:

• Alert your physician; ask him/her if there are any other medications that cause a less dry mouth.
• Keep a water filled plant mister at you bed side. A mist rather than a sip of water does a better jobs moisturizing the mouth. Put a little lemon juice into the water: it helps to stimulate the saliva glands
• Consider sugarless gums or candy to help try and moisturize your mouth. "Ford Xtreme" a chewing gum made my the Ford Gum company in Akron Ohio uses the sugar-substitute xylitol which is not only sugar-free but also kills cavity causing bacteria!
• Use a moisturizing gel like "Oralbalance."
• Use a saliva substitute such as "Glandosane",
• Consider a prescription of "Salagen" (generic is Pilocarpine Hydrochloride, 5 mg, three times a day). Very effective although some minor side effects so consult your physician or dentist.
• Consider home application of topical fluoride via custom-made fluoride trays.

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©1998, Jeffrey Kohlhardt DDS, 1204 Cottonwood Street, Suite 4
Woodland, California 95695, (530) 662-7128 dr-k@dentalresource.com