Dry Mouth and the Risk of Decay
When saliva falls, the balance in the mouth shifts towards decay.
What saliva actually does
Saliva does far more than keep the mouth wet: bicarbonate buffers the acid formed after sugar, calcium and phosphate return mineral to the enamel, and constant flow washes away debris and dilutes bacteria. When saliva falls, acid lingers, mineral is not replaced and plaque adheres more easily — so decay accelerates even with unchanged habits.
Common causes of a dry mouth
- Blood pressure, diuretic and some cardiac medications
- Antidepressants, antihistamines and some painkillers
- Mouth breathing caused by nasal obstruction
- Radiotherapy to the head and neck region
- Autoimmune conditions affecting the salivary glands
- Uncontrolled diabetes and dehydration
- Caffeine, alcohol and smoking used together
Why decay appears in unusual places
With normal saliva, decay usually starts in the pits and fissures of the back teeth. When saliva falls the pattern changes: exposed root surfaces, the margins of fillings and crowns and the necks of the lower front teeth are hit first, because those are the surfaces normally washed by flow. Root surface has no enamel, so decay advances quickly there — which is why check-up intervals are shortened and high-fluoride toothpaste is advised.
Enamel Wear: Why It Happens and How to Stop It
Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body, but it cannot renew itself. Once worn away it does not come back; all that can be done is to stop the wear and cover the lost surface with a restoration. Finding the cause therefore matters more than treating the result.
Three different types of wear
These have different causes and call for different measures:
- Erosion: enamel dissolves chemically on contact with acid — fizzy drinks, citrus, stomach acid
- Attrition: tooth against tooth — clenching and grinding
- Abrasion: an outside object wears it — hard brushing, abrasive toothpaste
The first sign of erosion is not sensitivity
In early erosion the enamel becomes matt and reflects light differently, so the teeth start to look dull. The incisal edges turn translucent because the enamel behind them has thinned. Sensitivity only begins once dentine is exposed, and by then the loss is considerable. Erosion is therefore usually caught at a routine check, before the patient has noticed anything.
Brushing after acid makes the wear worse
After contact with acid the enamel is temporarily softened, and brushing then scrapes away the softened surface. The right response is to rinse with water and wait a while before brushing, giving saliva time to put minerals back. The same applies after vomiting, where it matters even more, because stomach acid is far stronger than anything in food.
Deciding on a restoration for a worn tooth
Where the wear is superficial and not progressing, monitoring is enough. A restoration is needed once dentine is exposed, sensitivity has begun or the bite height has reduced. Composite suits limited areas; onlays or crowns are preferred for widespread wear. A restoration placed without removing the cause meets the same forces, so where there is clenching a night guard is part of the restoration, not an extra.
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Asagi Pazarci
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Asagi Pazarci.
Getting here from Asagi Pazarci
Aşağı Pazarcı lies in the Manavgat district of Antalya; Manavgat is a coastal tourism district, about 75 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Asagi Pazarci, such as Evrenleryavşı, Güzelyalı, Hocalı, Karakaya. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Asagi Pazarci.
Appointments for Asagi Pazarci
Because a trip from Aşağı Pazarcı takes a day, the schedule for staged treatment is drawn up at the outset and given to you as a whole. As with patients from Manavgat generally, appointments for families from Asagi Pazarci can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Asagi Pazarci
Always call before setting out from Aşağı Pazarcı at night; over this distance the guidance you receive on the phone matters in keeping the situation from worsening. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Asagi Pazarci, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
