Dry mouth

Overview

A dry mouth is rarely a sign of anything serious. There are things you can do to help ease it yourself.

What can cause a dry mouth?

• dehydration – for example, from not drinking enough, sweating a lot or being ill
• medicines – check the leaflet to see if dry mouth is a side effect
• breathing through your mouth at night – this can happen if you have a blocked nose or you sleep with your mouth open
• anxiety
• cancer treatment (radiotherapy or chemotherapy)

Sometimes a dry mouth that doesn't go away may be caused by a condition like diabetes or Sjögren's syndrome.

How to help ease a dry mouth yourself

Do

• drink plenty of water - take regular sips during the day and keep some water by your bed at night
• suck on ice cubes
• chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free sweets
• use lip balm if your lips are also dry
• brush your teeth twice a day and use an alcohol-free mouthwash at a different time to brushing - you're more likely to get tooth decay if you have a dry mouth

Don't

• do not drink lots of alcohol, caffeine (such as tea and coffee) or fizzy drinks
• do not have foods that are acidic (like lemons), spicy, salty or sugary
• do not smoke
• do not stop taking prescribed medicine without getting medical advice first - even if you think it might be causing your symptoms

A pharmacist can help if you have a dry mouth

Ask a pharmacist about treatments you can buy to help keep your mouth moist.

You can get:

• gels
• sprays
• tablets or lozenges

Not all products are suitable for everyone. Ask a pharmacist for advice about the best one for you.

If your dry mouth might be caused by a blocked nose, a pharmacist may suggest decongestants to unblock it.

During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, routine dental services have been stopped and GP services are limited. Only call your dental practice or your Health Board’s normal urgent dental care telephone number if you have a dental emergency.

Once normal dental services can resume, seek advice from your dentist or GP if:

• your mouth is still dry after trying home or pharmacy treatments for a few weeks
• you have difficulty chewing, swallowing or talking
• your mouth is painful, red or swollen
• you have sore white patches in your mouth
• you think a prescribed medicine might be causing your dry mouth
• you have other symptoms, like needing to urinate a lot or dry eyes

They can check what the cause might be and recommend treatment for it.

Selected links

NHS 111 Wales links

Dehydration

Diabetes

Radiotherapy

Sjögren's syndrome

Thirst

External links

British Sjögren's syndrome Association (BSSA)

Diabetes.co.uk: dry mouth and diabetes