Diagnosis | Dry mouth

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of “dry mouth” is of course ultimately made by the patient himself, as this is a subjective feeling. In order to finally find out the cause, it can be useful to consult a doctor. This is especially true if the dry mouth is accompanied by other complaints and is so pronounced that it severely restricts the affected person in his or her daily life or persists for a long period of time without any apparent reason.

The doctor will first of all make a detailed medical history. For this purpose, he will ask the patient about eating and drinking habits, other illnesses and medication, among other things. Then, depending on what he suspects is the cause of the dry mouth, he may follow this up with a physical examination, an X-ray, CT or MRI or many other things. To objectify the findings, there is also the possibility of measuring the salivary flow rate.

Saliva production

On average, a healthy person produces about 500 to 1500 milliliters of saliva per day, depending, among other things, on how much and what kind of food he or she eats. Even without any food intake, a certain amount of saliva is produced, namely about 500 milliliters, which is called basal secretion. Various glands in the mouth are responsible for the production of saliva: there are three large salivary glands and a large number of small salivary glands. The large salivary glands include the parotid gland (Glandula parotis), the mandibular gland (Glandula submandibularis), and the sublingual gland (Glandula sublingualis).Together, these are responsible for about 90% of the saliva produced, the majority of which is produced by the mandibular gland, the rest being provided by the small salivary glands in the oral mucosa.

Function of the saliva

Apart from the fact that saliva keeps the mouth moist (which allows us to speak, swallow and eat properly), it has other important functions: Due to the enzymes contained in it, the digestion of food can already begin in the mouth. Furthermore, saliva cleans the oral cavity of bacteria, viruses, fungi and the smallest particles that enter the mouth. For all these reasons, a sufficient amount of saliva is extremely important.

However, if the secretion of saliva is reduced or at least insufficient for current needs, the subjective feeling of a dry mouth occurs. However, since not only the moisture but also the enzyme protection in the mouth is lacking, the higher number of bacteria can now also lead to bad breath and/or increased susceptibility to infections or dental problems. Speaking and swallowing also become more difficult, which can lead to hoarseness later in life.