The 14 Best Home Remedies for Dry Mouth

Is your mouth so parched it feels as though you've been guzzling sawdust, with a sandpaper-like tongue? Dry mouth (aka xerostomia, if you want to get technical) can be excruciating. But it's also surprisingly common. An estimated 22 percent of people worldwide have dry mouth, according to a December 2018 analysis in ‌Brazilian Dental Journal‌.

These home remedies can offer relief at last.

No surprise here: Upping your fluid intake is the fastest and easiest way to keep your mouth nice and moist.

"Have a minimum of eight glasses of water a day," says Diana Messadi, DDS, professor at UCLA School of Dentistry and an expert in xerostomia. "If you don't feel like drinking, even just squirting water in your mouth and swishing it around will help." Make it easy to drink more H20 by keeping a reusable water bottle on hand.

You may also want to toss in an ice cube. Cold water may offer greater relief from mouth dryness and stimulate more saliva than warm or room temp liquid, per a September 2014 study in ‌Intensive Care Medicine‌.

For longer-lasting moisture, one strategy is to add one drop of aloe or glycerin for each ounce of water, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. A watery glycerol solution (glycerol is similar to glycerin) quenches dry mouth for up to two hours, per a July 2019 study in the ‌European Journal of Oral Sciences.‌

"You can also try sucking on small ice chips," Dr. Messadi says. Allowing them to melt slowly in your mouth can make you feel hydrated for longer.

Finally, since dry mouth can make swallowing food tricky, take sips of water between bites to help your meal go down easier.

If you drink a lot of water already, but you still have cottonmouth, open up your medicine cabinet. Oral dryness is a common side effect of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

"The number one cause of xerostomia is medication," Dr. Messadi says. The most common culprits: medications for depression and anxiety along with medications used to treat high blood pressure, she says. Antihistamines for allergies and decongestants for coughs and colds are common culprits, too, per the American Dental Association (ADA).

Talk to your health care provider about whether something you're taking could be causing dry mouth. They might be able to swap in a different med or adjust your dosage — for instance, certain types of antidepressants are less likely to dehydrate your mouth than others, according to the ADA.

Meanwhile, taking meds during the day instead of at night can be less drying, as can taking multiple smaller doses rather than one large dose. Just be sure to check with your physician before making any changes.

Dr. Messadi has seen good results with XyliMelts ($10.79, OraCoat.com), which are over-the-counter tablets about the size of an M&M. "You stick it to your gum and it stimulates the salivary glands," she says. "Put one on before bed to keep your mouth moist when you're sleeping, and you can also use it during the day."

Bonus: The active ingredient, xylitol, helps prevent tooth decay.

Over-the-counter oral sprays act like saliva substitutes, promising to keep your mouth hydrated. One to try: "Xerostom contains olive oil and parsley oil to lubricate your mouth," Dr. Messadi says. Give a spritz or two onto dry areas as needed.

Another option is MIGHTEAFLOW, which has xylitol and green tea. A small October 2020 study in the ‌International Journal of Advanced Research‌ found that gargling with green tea increased salivary rates more than gargling with distilled water.

Although Dr. Messadi can't vouch for green tea's effects on saliva, she points out that it is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Many people with dry mouth have redness and inflammation on their tongues, so it's possible that it could help reduce swelling and irritation.

Especially at night, it can soothe a Sahara-like mouth. "A humidifier will hydrate the atmosphere so that you are breathing in moist air," Dr. Messadi says.

Chewing triggers saliva production, so grab a stick of gum when your mouth feels like a giant cotton ball. People who chewed gum for 10 minutes at least six times a day had lower levels of dry mouth than a control group, according to a small January 2021 study in ‌Hemodialysis International‌. A 2019 review in the ‌Brazilian Nursing Journal‌ also found that gum use increased saliva and decreased thirst.

But make sure you opt for the sugar-free kind. "People with dry mouth are more prone to cavities," Dr. Messadi says. "Saliva washes away the food and bacteria on your teeth, so if you lack adequate saliva, the bacteria can stagnate, leading to decay."

While you're at it, check the label to confirm it doesn't contain alcohol, which can exacerbate dryness. And for best results, pop a piece of mint gum; the ‌Intensive Care Medicine‌ study suggests that the flavor of mint also increases saliva output. MighTeaFlow Dry Mouth Gum ($3.99, Camellix.com) checks all these boxes.

This works similarly to chewing gum. To maximize saliva, choose citrus, cinnamon or mint flavor, per Johns Hopkins Sjogren Center. One brand to try: Salese lozenges ($7.50, NuvoraInc.com).

One thing to keep in mind: "Many sugar-free gums and lozenges contain the anticavity product xylitol," Dr. Messadi says. "Some people experience gas, bloating or diarrhea when they consume a lot of this." If you're having GI distress, back off the xylitol.

Chapped, peeling lips go hand in hand with a pasty mouth. It can help to frequently apply Vaseline, Aquaphor, lanolin, Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm ($3.99, BurtsBees.com), or coconut oil, per Johns Hopkins Sjogren Center. Try to resist licking your lips, which will remove moisture.

Because xerostomia puts you in the cavity danger zone, it pays to be a boss about dental hygiene. You know the drill: Floss on the reg and brush for a full two minutes a minimum of twice a day. But some toothpastes are better for dry mouth than others.

Dr. Messadi notes that many of her patients have had success with coconut oil-based toothpaste. "It lubricates your mouth and helps reduce inflammation," she says. Consider using toothpaste designed for dry mouth, such as Biotene Gentle Mint Fluoride Toothpaste ($6.59, Walmart.com) or CloSYS Sensitive Toothpaste ($3.99, Closys.com), per the Johns Hopkins Sjogren Center.

On the other hand, skip whitening, tarter control and strongly flavored mint toothpastes, all of which are abrasive. Two ingredients to avoid: alcohol (it's drying) and sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), which can be harsh on your tooth enamel.

Moisturizing mouthwashes can help stave off cottonmouth, according to the Mayo Clinic. (Just make sure to avoid common mouthwash mistakes.) Two moisturizing mouthwashes to try, per the Mayo Clinic, are Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse ($6.24, Amazon.com) or ACT Dry Mouth Mouthwash ($7.80, Walmart.com), both of which contain xylitol for extra cavity protection.

"Make sure your mouthwash does not contain alcohol, which is drying," Dr. Messadi says. Look for products labeled "alcohol-free."

Although there aren't any foods that will improve xerostomia, per se, it's smart to limit sticky sweets since you're cavity prone. And because a dry mouth is more easily irritated, you may want to lay off anything that's spicy, salty, acidic, crunchy or hard to chew.

Alternative medicine might boost your mouth moisture. In a December 2020 review in ‌Integrative Cancer Therapies‌, acupuncture produced a significant improvement in dry mouth compared to a control group.

A February 2021 study in ‌Epidemiology and Health‌ determined that smoking decreases salivary flow rates. For help kicking the habit, download Livestrong's MyQuit Coach app.

You're at greater risk of xerostomia if you breathe through your mouth. "Mouth breathing can indicate sleep apnea or a nasal or sinus problem, such as a deviated septum," Dr. Messadi says. "See an ENT to figure out why you are breathing through your mouth."

Not sure if you breathe through your mouth at night? "If you often wake up in the morning with a dry mouth but don't experience xerostomia during the day, this could mean you're a mouth-breather," Dr. Messadi says.

Several factors could be to blame. "If you have dry mouth, the most important thing is to understand the cause," Dr. Messadi says. As we mentioned earlier, medication is the number one reason, and mouth-breathing can also dry you out.

It's also possible that you have a health issue. "Conditions like diabetes and certain autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren Syndrome attack the salivary glands," Dr. Messadi says. According to the ADA, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's commonly present with dry mouth, too. Talk to your physician to rule out something serious.

In addition: "Cancer treatment, like radiation or chemotherapy, can induce dry mouth," Dr. Messadi says. "In this case, medication can be given prior to radiation to protect the salivary glands."

Finally, you might experience a dry, pasty mouth if you talk a lot during the day, Dr. Messadi points out. The more frequently your mouth is open, the more likely it is to get dry — that could be why a long run leaves you with dry mouth.

The good news: Dry mouth might be temporary. Once you a) determine the root cause and b) address that factor (if possible), it should clear up. The fastest ways to end dry mouth is adjusting your medications if necessary, using over-the-counter saliva stimulators or substitutes and upping your fluids.

"There are two FDA-approved medications to treat dry mouth," Dr. Messadi says. "But they have side effects, so I only use them in severe cases."