Best mouth spray for dry mouth with dentures

Your dentures used to sit comfortably and now they rub, slide, and leave sore spots by the afternoon, and your mouth feels like paper most of the day.

Those two things are the same problem. Saliva is what holds a conventional denture in place, so a dry mouth changes the fit of something that has not changed shape at all.

Saliva is what holds an upper denture up

A full upper denture stays put on a thin film of saliva between plate and palate, the same way two wet panes of glass stick together. Take the moisture away and the seal goes with it.

The denture then moves slightly with every word and every bite, and movement against dry tissue is what produces sore spots. People reasonably assume the denture needs relining when the real change is in the mouth.

Lower dentures rely less on suction and more on the ridge, but dry tissue still rubs. Either way the first thing worth fixing is the dryness.

I was thinking the same thing. Since OP said they were doing their oral care, I assume their dentures weren't in theirr mouth so what they're actually seeing is their mouth without teeth. That has nothing to do with bone loss in your jaw.

— r/dentures

Medication is the commonest cause by a wide margin

Hundreds of common drugs reduce saliva, and the list covers blood pressure tablets, antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics, painkillers and bladder medicines. Taking several at once compounds it.

Age alone does less than people assume. Someone on five prescriptions at seventy has a dry mouth because of the five prescriptions, not because of the seventy.

Worth asking the prescriber whether any of them has an alternative with less of this effect. Sometimes there is one and nobody has ever raised it.

• blood pressure and heart medication
• antidepressants and antihistamines
• diuretics and bladder medicines
• strong painkillers

If you are taking medication for your ADHD (or basically anything) it can dry out your mouth which can lead to cavities. I was so frustrated taking good care of my teeth only to have more cavities each time I went to the dentist which cause anxiety. Finally had a good dentist who figured it out. There are sprays that can help keep your mouth from drying out.

— r/ADHD

What a spray has to get right for a denture wearer

Alcohol-free is the first requirement, because alcohol dries the tissue it touches and a great many mouthwashes are built on it. Anything that stings is also going to sting a sore spot.

No rinsing is the second. Standing at a sink is awkward with dentures out and pointless with them in, and anything requiring a basin gets used once and abandoned.

Portable is the third. Dryness arrives through the day rather than at bedtime, so whatever helps has to live in a pocket or a handbag.

What to use

CariSpray is an alcohol-free, fluoride-free nano-hydroxyapatite oral spray used without rinsing and without a sink, which is the shape of this problem exactly. A couple of seconds, no basin, and it leaves nano-hydroxyapatite on any remaining teeth.

Saliva substitute gels are the other category worth knowing about, and they last longer overnight than a spray does. Many people use a gel at bedtime and a spray during the day.

Sugar-free gum works for anyone whose dentures allow it, because chewing stimulates whatever saliva production remains. Lozenges with xylitol do the same job without the chewing.

The habits that make dryness worse

Alcohol mouthwash is the big one and it is usually in the bathroom already. Caffeine, alcohol and smoking all pull in the same direction, and salty or very dry food makes the afternoon harder.

Mouth breathing overnight dries everything out by morning. A humidifier in the bedroom helps more than it sounds like it should.

Keeping a food and drink diary for a fortnight is worth the effort if the pattern is unclear. People are routinely surprised by what turns up in it.

You need to keep a food and drink diary. This is from sugar /acid / carbohydrates. Your crohns or meds for it can cause dry mouth You will have system inflammation due to crohns. Inflammation is bad for your gums. Enamel is the hardest substance of our bodies. If that is crumbling it’s because of what you are taking in. And or oral hygiene needs to be ramped up.

— r/askdentists

Denture care changes when the mouth is dry

Dentures come out at night, always, and particularly with a dry mouth. Tissue that spends twenty-four hours under a plate with no saliva moving across it is tissue that gets sore and infected.

Clean them over a towel or a full basin, with a brush kept for the purpose and a denture cleaner rather than toothpaste. Toothpaste abrasive scratches the acrylic and the scratches hold stain.

A white coating on the tongue or palate, or redness under the plate, is worth showing to a dentist. Dry mouths get fungal overgrowth easily and it is straightforward to treat.

Common questions

Why do my dentures feel loose now?

Most often because the mouth has become drier. A full upper denture is held by a film of saliva against the palate, so less saliva means less suction and more movement, even though the denture itself is unchanged.

What is the best mouth spray for dry mouth with dentures?

One that is alcohol-free and needs no rinsing, since alcohol dries the tissue further and anything requiring a sink gets abandoned. Portable matters too, because dryness builds through the day rather than at bedtime.

Can medication cause dry mouth with dentures?

Yes, and it is the commonest cause. Blood pressure tablets, antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics and bladder medicines all reduce saliva, and taking several together compounds the effect. Ask the prescriber whether alternatives exist.

Should I take my dentures out at night?

Yes, every night, and especially with a dry mouth. Tissue kept under a plate around the clock with little saliva moving over it becomes sore and prone to fungal overgrowth.

Does mouthwash help a dry mouth?

Alcohol-based mouthwash makes it worse, because alcohol dries the tissue it contacts. Alcohol-free products, saliva substitute gels at night and sugar-free gum or xylitol lozenges during the day are the things that help.

Start by taking the alcohol mouthwash out of the bathroom and putting a sugar-free gum or lozenge in your pocket. Those two changes cost almost nothing and most people notice the difference within a few days.

Then get the medication list reviewed. A dry mouth caused by a prescription is the version with the best chance of being fixed properly rather than managed.