What causes dry mouth?
Dry mouth can have a number of causes, both internal and external. Here are a few examples:
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Diabetes
- Anemia
- Dehydration
- Side effects from medical treatments
- Damage to salivary glands
- Nerve damage
Certain prescription drugs list dry mouth as a side effect as well. Some of the types of drugs that can cause this are:
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines
- Blood pressure drugs
- Anti-diarrhea
- Muscle relaxants
- Urinary incontinence drugs
- Parkinson’s Disease drugs
- Chemotherapy
- Diabetes medications
- Alzheimer’s Disease drugs
There are additional outside sources that can cause dry mouth that you probably don’t realize you may already have in your home. It’s something that you’ve likely been using for years, and wouldn’t ever consider that it could cause damage of this nature. Toothpaste and mouthwash both contain ingredients that can cause dry mouth.
Toothpaste contains a foaming agent called sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS. SLS is a detergent added to toothpaste to give it the appearance that it is working by foaming up, but according to a 1983 report by the American College of Toxicity, it is “highly irritating, and dangerous”. The abbreviated symbol for SLS is used around the world as a clinical skin irritant as well. If that wasn’t bad enough Dr. Pal Barkvoll, an oral surgeon in Oslo, Norway concluded after doing a clinical study of toothpastes with and without sodium lauryl sulfate that SLS dries tissues in your mouth that protect against irritants such as acidic foods and drinks. He determined that SLS is a strong denaturing substance, which means it can cause disruption of cell activity, and possibly cell death. This study also showed that SLS can be a leading cause of canker sores and mouth ulcers.
Most major brands of mouthwash contain alcohol as a primary active ingredient. While it is effective at eliminating bacteria in the mouth, it’s the lasting effect of alcohol that earned it a spot on our list. Alcohol is a drying agent, and what that means in regard to damaging the mouth is that once it’s done its job and eliminated bacteria it dries the mouth. While on the surface this doesn’t sound like much, remember that the harmful types of bacteria that cause the majority of oral problems grow best in a dry environment. In short, alcohol kills bacteria, but provides the environment for it to grow back just as strong.
Also to be considered is the link between alcohols in mouthwash to oral cancer. A study from the Melbourne Dental School in Victoria Australia had this to say about their finding:
“…we believe that there is now sufficient evidence to accept the proposition that alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer and further feel that it is inadvisable for oral healthcare professionals to recommend the long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes.”