The best way to treat dry mouth — known medically as xerostomia (zeer-o-STOE-me-uh) — depends on what’s causing it. You can do some things to relieve dry mouth temporarily. But for the best long-term dry mouth remedy, you need to address its cause.

To relieve your dry mouth:

• Chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free hard candies to stimulate the flow of saliva. For some people, xylitol, which is often found in sugar-free gum or sugar-free candies, may cause diarrhea or cramps if consumed in large amounts.
• Limit your caffeine intake because caffeine can make your mouth drier.
• Don’t use mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they can be drying.
• Stop all tobacco use if you smoke or chew tobacco.
• Sip water regularly.
• Try over-the-counter saliva substitutes — look for products containing xylitol, such as Mouth Kote or Oasis Moisturizing Mouth Spray, or ones containing carboxymethylcellulose (kahr-bok-see-meth-ul-SEL-u-lohs) or hydroxyethyl cellulose (hi-drok-see-ETH-ul SEL-u-lohs), such as Biotene Oral Balance.
• Try a mouthwash designed for dry mouth — especially one that contains xylitol, such as Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse or PerioSciences products for Dry Mouth.
• Avoid using over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants because they can make your symptoms worse.
• Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.
• Add moisture to the air at night with a room humidifier.

Saliva is important to maintain the health of your teeth and mouth. If you frequently have a dry mouth, taking these steps to protect your oral health may also help your condition:

• Avoid sugary or acidic foods and candies because they increase the risk of tooth decay.
• Brush with a fluoride toothpaste. Ask your dentist if you might benefit from prescription fluoride toothpaste.
• Use a fluoride rinse or brush-on fluoride gel before bedtime.
• Visit Dr. Koshki at least twice yearly to detect and treat tooth decay or other dental problems.

If these steps don’t improve your dry mouth, talk to your doctor or dentist. The cause could be a medication or another condition. Medications are one of the most common causes of dry mouth. Long-term relief from your dry mouth may mean stopping or changing your medication or its dosage, or addressing underlying health issues.

WHY IS DR. KOSHKI RECOMMENDING IMPLANTS TO ME?
(I am fine with a removable partial or full denture.)

We are excited to announce that the Waterpik Aquarius Professional Water Flosser is now available for purchase at our office! This is the very latest technology from Waterpik and this unique device is loaded with features to help take your teeth cleaning and gum care to a whole new level. Think you know Waterpik? Well things have changed for the better with a hand held control over water flow, 7 tips for customized care, and more. Several important studies at USC prove that the Waterpik is effective in keeping biofilm off of our teeth at the gumline and even in between the teeth!

We have a price well below retail in addition to a $15 rebate. Give us a call for more information, or ask to see this important dental tool at your next visit.

https://youtu.be/mPNtiMcM4Zg

Did you know that Americans cite bad breath as the least attractive trait a co-worker can have? Be more popular around the water cooler and brush after lunch.

Cap the paste but not the brush. Covering the brush can trap moisture and encourage bacteria growth. Yeah, we know. Gross, huh?

The average women smiles about 62 times a day, while the average man smiles only 8 times. Women are also more likely to brush their teeth and visit the dentist regularly. Think there might be a connection here?

MacGyver claims dental floss works well as a cake cutter, makeshift clothesline, replacement fishing line, picture hangers and much more. Our favorite use for it? Cleaning your teeth. Dental floss has played a role in many attempted prison breaks, used as everything from a rope to a chainsaw. None have been successful. We suggest flossing with it.

Bottled water doesn’t contain the tooth-decay fighting fluoride, which is added to most municipal water supplies. Ditch the bottle and drink from the tap.

Saliva helps you eat by breaking apart food particles and cleaning your mouth afterwards. The average person produces 10,000 gallons of saliva over their lifetime (no data as to how much winds up as spitballs).

Sports, accidents and fights are the leading cause of tooth loss in people under the age of 35. Play it safe and wear a mouth guard.

Each day, the average person spends 8.5 hours sleeping, 1 hour eating, 7.2 minutes volunteering and only 50 seconds brushing their teeth. Set your alarm 2 minutes earlier and squeeze in some extra brush time. Dentists recommend 2-3 minutes twice a day.

Americans spend $100 billion per year on hair care products – and only $2 billion a year on dental care products. What good is great hair without a great smile?

The next time you want to play hooky, head to the dentist for a cleaning instead. Last year alone, adults missed over 164 million hours of work – and children missed over 51 million hours of school for dental related problems.

If flossing properly, the average person should use 122 yards of floss per year. Twenty-eight percent of people claim to floss daily, but annual sales data shows only an average of 18 yards of floss are sold per person. We think someone’s fibbing.

Spearmint Sparkle. Peppermint Breeze. Chocolate Mint? The next time your dental hygienist asks you to pick a flavor of paste, consider this – the ancient Romans used a mixture of bones, eggshells, oyster shells and honey to clean their teeth! We recommend you stick with the paste.

It’s not hard to find some really scary teeth in movies, especially from villains. We can all enjoy a good laugh at these photos, but we can also feel good about our own pearly whites. Seeing Dr. Koshki and his Team of experienced hygienists on a regular basis can help keep your teeth healthy and beautiful for your lifetime.

Have you seen some incredible teeth in TV or movies? Post on our Facebook page and show us!

If you’ve ever had a sensitive tooth or receding gums where the roots were beginning to become exposed, you know exactly how extraordinarily painful mouth problems can be. And if you’re a chronic sufferer, you’re probably ready to try just about anything to rid yourself of the pain. Gum disease can cover many problems, from swelling, redness, bleeding and pain to receding of the gums — all of which CoQ10 is said to be able to treat. So should you begin loading up on the CoQ10 supplements?

Unfortunately, for those looking for a quick fix, the answer is “possibly.” CoQ10, especially when paired with Vitamin C, may strengthen your gums [source:Cuneo]. This can be particularly beneficial for receding gums. Studies have also shown that people who have gum disease have low CoQ10 levels, leading to the conclusion that some CoQ10 supplements can help them in that case [source: University of Maryland Medical Center]. However, not enough widespread studies have been conducted yet to determine conclusively if CoQ10 supplements can help gum disease, so your best approach may be some CoQ10 treatment combined with an aggressive practical regimen of regular cleanings, thorough brushings, and routine flossing using proper techniques.