Dry mouth affects many individuals, including older adults, people taking certain medications, and people with health conditions that reduce saliva flow. Biotene dental hygiene products, which include a range of toothpastes, mouth rinses, gels and other oral treatments, can help relieve dry mouth and the bad breath and dental decay that often accompany this condition.
Significance
Reduced flow of saliva resulting in dry mouth is a common problem among older adults. Dry mouth also affects people with certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune disorders and anxiety, and is a side effect of hundreds of medications, including antidepressants and antihistamines. Regardless of the cause, dry mouth can cause dental decay, damage to mouth tissue and bad breath. You may also have difficulty speaking or swallowing with dry mouth.
Biotene Products
Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline manufactures a number of dental hygiene products for dry mouth under the Biotene brand. Biotene products for dry mouth include toothpastes, mouthwashes, mouth sprays, liquids, gums and gels. According to the official Biotene website, Biotene products employ bioactive enzymes and moisturizing polymers that enhance your saliva's natural function of lubricating the mouth and protecting against bacteria which cause bad breath.
When to Use
On the product website, Biotene recommends brushing after breakfast with Biotene Toothpaste and then rinsing with Biotene Mouthwash instead of water. If your mouth feels dry during the day, using Biotine's Moisturizing Mouth Spray, Biotene Gum, and Biotene Oralbalance Liquid as needed can help re-lubricate the mouth. You can also use Biotene Oralbalance Moisturizing Gel before meals if your dry mouth makes swallowing difficult. Before bedtime, Biotene recommends replicating your morning routine using Biotene Toothpaste and Mouthwash, then finishing with Biotene Oralbalance Moisturizing Gel to keep the mouth moist throughout the night.
Lifestyle Solutions
Besides using Biotene products, taking certain lifestyle measures can also help relieve dry mouth. To keep the mouth moist and stimulate saliva flow, you can sip water or sugar-free drinks and chew sugar-free gum throughout the day. Avoid using substances which dry the mouth such as tobacco products and drinks with alcohol or caffeine. Breathing through the nose instead of the mouth and using a humidifier at night to moisten the air can also help reduce dry mouth symptoms.
Prescription Treatments
If adjusting your lifestyle and using Biotene or other over-the-counter dry mouth products don't relieve your dry mouth to your satisfaction, your doctor or dentist may prescribe you a medication which stimulates saliva production, such as pilocarpine or cevimeline. If your dry mouth is a side effect of medication, your doctor can also alter your dosage or prescribe a different medication that doesn't cause dry mouth.
