What is saliva?
Saliva, or spit, is made by your salivary glands. It helps keep you and your mouth healthy. For example:
- It moistens and breaks down the foods you eat, which makes it easier for you to chew and swallow.
- It washes away small food pieces from your teeth and gums, which helps fight against
. - It contains minerals such as
and phosphate, which can also help fight tooth decay. - It contains antibodies that can fight against infections of the mouth and throat. Antibodies are proteins that your
makes to fight foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria.
What is dry mouth?
Having dry mouth, also called xerostomia, means that you don't have enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while, like when you are nervous or stressed. But if you have a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable. It can make chewing,
Results 1 -
10
of
749
for
Xerostomia
- Dry Mouth (National Library of Medicine)... substances such as viruses and bacteria. What is dry mouth? Having dry mouth, also called xerostomia, means that you don't have enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while, like when you are ...
- Some cancer treatments and medicines can cause dry mouth. Take good care of your mouth during your cancer treatment. Follow the measures outlined below.
- Dry mouth occurs when you don't make enough saliva. This causes your mouth to feel dry and uncomfortable. Dry mouth that is ongoing may be a sign of ...
- Dry Mouth Treatment: Tips for Controlling Dry Mouth (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Dry Mouth/Treatments and Therapies ... Dry Mouth ... Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- ... produce tears and saliva are destroyed. This causes dry mouth and dry eyes. The condition may affect other ... Sjögren syndrome is defined as dry eyes and dry mouth without another autoimmune disorder. Secondary Sjögren syndrome occurs ...
- Dry mouth, also called xerostomia (ZEER-oh-STOH-mee-ah), is the condition of not having enough saliva. ...
- Mouth Disorders (National Library of Medicine)... the cheeks, gums or tongue, common in smokers Dry mouth - a lack of enough saliva, caused by some ...
- ... notice changes in your mouth. You may have: Dry mouth Thicker saliva Mouth pain Nausea Difficulty swallowing Pain ...
- Pilocarpine is used to treat dry mouth caused by radiotherapy in people with head and neck cancer and to treat dry mouth in people with Sjogren's syndrome (a ...
- Dry Mouth/Start Here ... Dry Mouth ... National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research ... NIDCR ... PDF ... From the National Institutes of Health
(National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) 