Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a common and often distressing condition affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

It is a long standing and mostly irreversible condition also known as Xerostomia. It affects approximatley 15% of the population, rising to 25% in the over 65’s.

The commonest causes include:

Head and neck radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy.
Nerve damage.
Side effects caused by medicines e.g. anticholinergics, antidepressants.
Disease: medical conditions such as Sjogrens syndrome in 2% of the population, 90% of which are women.
Sarcoidosis, Diabetes, SLE, Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The leading cause of dry mouth is medication.

60% of dry mouth sufferers are over 60 years of age.

More than 25% of sufferers are uncertain of the cause of their dry mouth.

Over 85% of sufferers have reported disturbed sleep.

More than 50% of sufferers report that dry mouth affects their socialising.

78% of sufferers reported dry mouth as exhausting and that it affects their mental health.