Many practitioners are seeing more patients who complain of dry mouth. These patients have difficulty eating and speaking due to their condition. They typically complain of the tongue sticking to the roof of the mouth, causing discomfort and impairing normal oral functions. Dry mouth is seen quite often in individuals who have an impaired saliva production due to medications, radiation, or diseases that have damaged the salivary glands. Dry mouth can also be secondary to decreased water intake, physical activity dehydration, smoking, mouth breathing, and caffeine- or alcohol-induced dehydration. GC America’s new GC Dry Mouth Gel is a substance specifically designed to decrease the very uncomfortable symptoms of dry mouth. The Gel has a neutral pH and a pleasant taste (available in fruit salad, lemon, mint and raspberry). The GC Dry Mouth Gel is sugar-free and thus unlikely to contribute to the progress of caries in the patient’s mouth. Very importantly, it is alcohol-free as well. (Alcohol is a desiccant.) The application of the gel is straightforward: simply place a generous amount of the gel onto the tongue or a clean finger. The patient then uses his or her finger or tongue to spread the gel over the buccal and lingual sides of the teeth, extending to the oral mucosal tissues. The gel can be applied any time during the day and as often as required. For night applications, it is best applied after normal tooth brushing. The GC Dry Mouth Gel lubricates the oral cavity and makes it easier for the patient to undertake routine functions such as speaking and eating (and even resting) without the discomfort of oral dryness.
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