I found this article on dry mouth at colgate.com-see if this helps!
Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while — if they are nervous, upset or under stress.
But if you have a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable and can lead to serious health problems.
Symptoms Include:
A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth
Trouble chewing, swallowing, tasting or speaking
A burning feeling in the mouth
A dry feeling in the throat
Cracked lips
A dry, tough tongue
Mouth sores
An infection in the mouth
What Can be Done About Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth treatment will depend on what is causing the problem. If you think you have dry mouth, see your dentist or physician. He or she can try to determine what is causing your dry mouth.
If your dry mouth is caused by medicine, your physician might change your medicine or adjust the dosage
If your salivary glands are not working right but can still produce some saliva, your physician or dentist might give you a medicine that helps the glands work better
Your physician or dentist might suggest that you use artificial saliva to keep your mouth wet
What can I do?
Sip water or sugarless drinks often
Avoid drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and some sodas. Caffeine can dry out the mouth
Sip water or a sugarless drink during meals. This will make chewing and swallowing easier. It may also improve the taste of food
Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to stimulate saliva flow; citrus, cinnamon or mint-flavored candies are good choices
Don’t use tobacco or alcohol. They dry out the mouth
Be aware that spicy or salty foods may cause pain in a dry mouth
Use a humidifier at night
Sjögren’s Syndrome is a major cause of dry mouth. You can get information about dry mouth related to Sjögren’s Syndrome from:
Sjögren’s Syndrome Clinic
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Building 10, Room 1N113
10 Center Drive MSC 1190
Bethesda, MD 20892-1190
Tel: 301-435-8528
http://wwwdir.nidcr.nih.gov/
dirweb/gttb/sjogrens/SjogrenIndex.asp
Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation, Inc.
Suite 530
8120 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: 301-718-0300 or
800-475-6473
http://www.sjogrens.org
Copyright &cop; 2002, 2003 Colgate-Palmolive Company. All rights reserved.