{"id":2792,"date":"2026-11-02T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thespecialteeth.com\/es\/?p=2792"},"modified":"2026-10-19T02:21:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T02:21:52","slug":"boca-seca-xerostomia-causas-y-cuidados","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thespecialteeth.com\/en\/boca-seca-xerostomia-causas-y-cuidados\/","title":{"rendered":"Dry Mouth (Xerostomia): Why It Happens and How to Protect Your Teeth When Saliva Is Low"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Dry mouth, called xerostomia, is the feeling of not having enough saliva. It can be an occasional nuisance, but when it persists it affects speech, chewing, taste and, above all, the health of the teeth, because saliva is one of their main defenses.<\/strong> Understanding its causes helps relieve it and prevent its consequences.<\/p>\n

Picture this hypothetical scene:<\/em> Elena is 68 and takes several medications for blood pressure, sleep and her bladder. For months she has been waking up with her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, she struggles to swallow bread and her partial denture rubs. At her last checkup, three new cavities were found near her gums, something that had not happened in years. \u201cIf I brush the same as always, what changed?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n

Xerostomia and hyposalivation are not the same<\/h2>\n

Specialists distinguish two concepts. Xerostomia is the subjective feeling of a dry mouth. Hyposalivation is a measurable decrease in the amount of saliva. They often go together, but not always: some people feel their mouth is dry with normal flow, while others produce little saliva without noticing (Villa et al., 2015). That is why, when it is suspected, an assessment that measures salivary flow is worthwhile.<\/p>\n

It is a common problem. A systematic review with meta-regression estimated that about one in five people report dry mouth, with higher figures in older adults and in women (Agostini et al., 2018).<\/p>\n

Why saliva matters so much<\/h2>\n

Saliva does much more than keep the mouth moist. It neutralizes the acids produced by bacteria, washes away food debris and sugars, supplies calcium and phosphate to repair enamel and contains substances that keep microorganisms in check. When flow decreases, all of these functions weaken and the risk of decay rises, especially on exposed roots and near the gums (Dawes, 2008).<\/p>\n

It also plays a role in chewing, in perceiving taste and texture, in forming the food bolus and in starting digestion (Pedersen et al., 2018). That is why people with a dry mouth often notice that food \u201cwon’t go down,\u201d flavors change and talking for long periods becomes uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

The most common causes<\/h2>\n

Medications<\/h3>\n

They are the most frequent cause. A systematic review sponsored by the World Workshop on Oral Medicine produced a guide listing hundreds of medications associated with salivary gland dysfunction, including antidepressants, antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, medications for overactive bladder and others (Wolff et al., 2017). In older adults, a meta-analysis confirmed that several commonly used drug groups are associated with dry mouth, and that the risk increases when several are combined (Tan et al., 2018). That is exactly Elena’s situation.<\/p>\n

Diseases<\/h3>\n

Sj\u00f6gren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that affects the glands that produce saliva and tears. Its international classification criteria include, among other elements, measuring salivary flow (Shiboski et al., 2017). Poorly controlled diabetes, dehydration, mouth breathing and some neurological conditions can also contribute.<\/p>\n

Cancer treatment<\/h3>\n

Radiotherapy to the head and neck can damage the salivary glands. A systematic review found that hyposalivation and xerostomia are very common after these treatments, can be long-lasting and significantly affect quality of life (Jensen et al., 2010).<\/p>\n

Warning signs<\/h2>\n