Saliva is the body’s natural defence against tooth decay. Saliva washes away acids and puts minerals back into teeth. If you lack adequate saliva flow, your teeth can decay and wear away more easily and you can get more gum problems. If you often have a dry mouth, erosion may damage your teeth more quickly. Smoking, caffeine and some medicines and illnesses (including depression) that affect saliva glands may reduce your saliva flow.

There is a simple test to see if you have normal saliva flow. Looking into a mirror, gently pull down your lower lip with one hand and dry the inside of your lip with a clean, dry cloth or tissue. Watch your lip closely, while breathing through your nose. If you have good saliva flow, you should see small beads of saliva ooze from the glands inside your lip within one minute. If the inside of your lip is still dry after one minute, you may have a problem with saliva flow. A dental professional can advise you further.

What to do
If you do not have enough saliva, it is important to find out why. Then you can make changes that may help relieve the feeling of dry mouth or may help improve the amount of saliva your body produces. For example, if caffeine is found to be affecting your saliva flow, you might try to substitute other drinks. Never change any medicines without first talking with your doctor.

The feeling of dry mouth can be relieved using a saliva replacement product, chewing sugarless gum, taking frequent sips of water or using a small spray bottle (atomizer) to frequently spray water in the mouth, particularly at meal times and bedtime. It is important NOT to suck on sugary sweets or drink sugary drinks to relieve the feeling of a dry mouth. These habits can cause very rapid tooth decay.

If a dental professional confirms that you have a problem with saliva flow, you might benefit from using products that give you more fluoride protection, such as fluoride rinse, gels or toothpaste with a higher level of fluoride.