If you have dry mouth syndrome, your mouth doesn't produce as much saliva as it needs to. This can be an uncomfortable and painful condition; it can also cause dental problems. Saliva is a great help in your mouth and is particularly good at neutralising the acids that can lead to tooth decay. To avoid developing problems with your teeth, you can try to manage your dry mouth by chewing to encourage a better saliva flow. If you chew more, your juices flow more.

Chew Your Food Well

If you bolt down your food or don't chew it enough, you're missing a trick when it comes to producing more saliva. One simple way to put more saliva into your mouth is to take time to chew your food thoroughly, according to the Better Health Channel.

Chewing away at food that you'd normally give a cursory bite to before swallowing it may feel a little odd to start with but it is effective. The more you chew each mouthful of food, the harder your salivary glands will work and the moister your mouth will become.

Eat Foods That Make You Chew More

Foods that take a little more effort to eat such as crunchy or chewy foods make you chew more when you eat them. Again, this encourages your saliva to flow more freely. For example, eating an apple is a great saliva workout. You have to bite bits of the fruit off and then chew them before you can swallow them. Plus, the natural juices of an apple help moisten your mouth so that it feels less dry.

Tip: A little bit of what you fancy does you good. According to the Better Health Channel, preparing foods that you look forward to eating can also make your saliva flow more. When you see a meal that you want to eat, your glands start producing saliva before you actually start eating.

If your dry mouth has gotten to the stage when your mouth feels sore and uncomfortable, then a crunchy food may be the last thing you want to eat. If it hurts to chew this kind of food, switch to something that is softer and wetter. For example, a slow-cooked stew, plate of saucy pasta or a hearty soup gives you softer things to chew on together with a sauce that may hydrate your mouth and make it feel better.

Warning: Avoid eating foods that may damage your teeth or make your dry mouth feel worse in other ways. For example, chewing on a sticky toffee may get your juices flowing well, but it will also put sugars on your teeth that may cause decay problems of their own. Curries and Asian noodle dishes may be wetter and easier to eat, but their salt and spice content may make your mouth drier or sore.

Chew on Gum

Your mouth may dry up between meals when your salivary glands have nothing to do. If this is uncomfortable, chewing gum can help add a saliva boost. Make sure to chew on sugar-free gum rather than regular products whose sugar content may harm the health of your teeth.

For more information, contact a dentist in your area.

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