Saliva has been called it all. For all of the negative press this body fluid gets, it's actually quite useful. It is the main natural protective factor in our mouth to keep our teeth free from cavities. It is full of minerals, enzymes and antibacterial compounds that have many functions, including keeping those nasty cavity causing bacteria from making big holes in our teeth.

Sometimes it's easier to understand how beneficial saliva is by seeing the effects of what happens to teeth when saliva is not present. Figure 1 shows a cavity on a tooth supporting a bridge. The dark area is the cavity. Figure 2 shows the progression of that cavity in just over 1 year's time. The cavity has eaten completely through the tooth. These xrays were taken on a patient who suffers from dry mouth.

There are a myriad of different causes for dry mouth. Head and neck radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatment can cause very severe dry mouth. Several diseases including certain autoimmune diseases like Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, diabetes, anemia, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure and stroke are all causes of dry mouth. Several medications have dry mouth as a common side effect. Even smoking and mouth breathing can contribute to dry mouth.

The good news is there are great treatments to help keep patients with dry mouth free from disease. However, it is very important to seek treatment quickly. Cavities can progress very rapidly without saliva in the mouth and your options for treatment get worse and more expensive as the cavities progress.

So how will you know if you have dry mouth? Do you have cavities every time you go to the dentist, despite being very good at brushing and flossing? Do your mouth and throat feel dry? Do you have problems chewing or swallowing food? Has your sense of taste changed over time? Do you get dry, cracked lips, especially at the corners? Does your tongue ever tingle or burn or does it turn red? Is your saliva thick, ropey or sticky? Do you have bad breath? Do you have frequent mouth sores?