Dry mouth causing gum disease

All of a sudden (after using a cpap successfully for 6 months) I started waking up with terrible dry mouth from my mouth opening during sleep. In addition, I found out from my dentist that I was developing severe gum problems due to this dry mouth. It seems that your saliva keeps bacteria washed away so it cannot cause gingivitis.

I use the Breeze headgear with nasal pillows. Now I "glue" my mouth shut at night with Polygrip strips and I have the humidifier attached and running. Still I have a huge problem with waking up with dry mouth. What the heck could be causing this? I could totally understand it if my mouth was opening during the night, but it isn't anymore. Any ideas? I'm going to have to have laser gum surgery in about a week because of this. It would cost about $2600, but my dentist is cutting me a "deal" at $1200 since I don't have dental insurance!

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Even though I tape my mouth very securely closed, I wake up with a dry mouth and feel that the "bite guard" made by a TMJ dentist is "stuck" to my teeth in the morning.

First thing I do, is take some warm water in my mouth and swish it around until the water dislodges the bite guard . . . then I take it out. Then I use the pre-brush mouthwash with peroxide in it (white bottle). I swish that in my mouth and keep it there for at least two minutes before spitting out. Then I brush my teeth & floss.

I have done this every morning, and haven't had a gum problem (yet ). I have my twice-yearly preventive cleaning at a periodontist office because they seem to do a better job of it, so I will find out if it ever becomes a gum problem.

Moochetta,

Do you have diabetes?


Den

Another thing to keep in mind: many medications, especially ones used to control blood pressure (beta blockers and calcium channel blockers), dry out the mouth. So do many seasonal allergy medications.

There are a variety of oral products for dry mouth. I am not sure how effective a spray or rinse would be with cpap air blowing in our mouths/throats all night, but it might be worth a shot. Here's a link: http://www.dentist.net/drymouth.asp

Hope this helps.

I use Biotene Mouth wash (made especially for dry mouth) every night just before I " tape and mask up" for the night. It really does help with dry mouth in the morning after a night on cpap - for me anyway.

Thanks so much everyone! And, yes, Den - I do have type 2 diabetes. I've had it for a few years and never had any gum problems before until a couple of month ago when I started mouth breathing in my sleep. Why do you ask?

I'll try everything you are all suggesting.

Again, thanks to all.

Michele

Moochetta wrote:Thanks so much everyone! And, yes, Den - I do have type 2 diabetes. I've had it for a few years and never had any gum problems before until a couple of month ago when I started mouth breathing in my sleep. Why do you ask?

I'll try everything you are all suggesting.

Again, thanks to all.

Michele

Someone else asked me a similar question in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40413&p=353843&hili ... es#p353843


Den

For the record, last time I got my teeth cleaned, my dental hygienist commented to me that they "always" see gum bleeding and such issues in patients who use CPAP. I plan to question her more closely about this at my next appointment. In the meantime, I'm making sure I always brush my teeth and use plaque-fighting mouthwash (Listerine, specifically, although there are others) before bed.

Hawthorne wrote:I use Biotene Mouth wash (made especially for dry mouth) every night just before I " tape and mask up" for the night. It really does help with dry mouth in the morning after a night on cpap - for me anyway.

Even with my mouth breathing gone, I wake up occasionally with a dry mouth. It's on those mornings after I forget to swish with Biotene the night before! I really like Biotene. They also make one specificaly for dry mouth.

Good stuff!