I have learned since being diagnosed that some remedies helpl a little, some a lot, and some not at all. But can anyone out there tell what helped you the most with the mouth dryness/slimey saliva. Yuk!
I don't know, but I've started doing oil pulling with coconut oil. It helps a bit because, after I'm done, my mouth feels better for awhile. I've tried xylitol-sweetened hard candies but they don't really help me salivate that much .
I use generic Evoxac (cevimeline). Sometimes it works too well, which is miserable, but it doesn't seem to do that all the time. My prescription says I can take it 3 times a day, but I just take it at breakfast and at bedtime.
I've mentioned this before; chewing sugar-free gum a couple of times a day really gets the saliva to flow!! My dentist has been following my dental health for three years and so far no cavities and the production of saliva due to chewing gum has contributed to this! Keeping it simple!!
Thanks to all of you for sharing. I too take Cevimeline twice daily. Some days I'm sure it helps and others not so much. The gum helps for short periods. Oil pulling?
Oil pulling is when you take a spoonful of anti-microbial oil like coconut oil or sesame seed oil in your mouth, and you hold it outside your jaw and then "pull it" through your teeth. You do this for as long as you can at first and work your way to doing it for 15-20 minutes. It pulls the impurities out of the body and the gums. You spit the used oil in a trash can or paper towels because it will clog your sink if you spit it here. People have reported their dentists being amazed at how much better their mouth looks after a patient does that for a time -- far less plaque, decay, etc.
Happy Gramma said:
Thanks to all of you for sharing. I too take Cevimeline twice daily. Some days I'm sure it helps and others not so much. The gum helps for short periods. Oil pulling?
Does it taste awful?
DLT88 said:
Oil pulling is when you take a spoonful of anti-microbial oil like coconut oil or sesame seed oil in your mouth, and you hold it outside your jaw and then "pull it" through your teeth. You do this for as long as you can at first and work your way to doing it for 15-20 minutes. It pulls the impurities out of the body and the gums. You spit the used oil in a trash can or paper towels because it will clog your sink if you spit it here. People have reported their dentists being amazed at how much better their mouth looks after a patient does that for a time -- far less plaque, decay, etc.
Happy Gramma said:Thanks to all of you for sharing. I too take Cevimeline twice daily. Some days I'm sure it helps and others not so much. The gum helps for short periods. Oil pulling?
No, I don't think the coconut oil tastes like much at all, actually. The sesame oil kind of tastes like peanut butter to me.
I think I am going to try this. I am assuming you have to brush your teeth pretty good afterwards, or they would be kind of gummy and stuff would stick to them? Sorry for all the questions, but I am very interested in this.
DLT88 said:
No, I don't think the coconut oil tastes like much at all, actually. The sesame oil kind of tastes like peanut butter to me.
I love questions -- ok to ask as many as you want! :) My mouth doesn't feel sticky afterwards at all but I've read that it's good to really rinse your mouth well afterwards to get rid of any toxins the oil 'pulled' out from your gums. Dentists really seem to notice such a positive difference after their Sjogren's patients have been oil pulling regularly.
I have been oil pulling since January 2013. It controls the soreness from dry mouth, plus so much more. I use coconut oil and my mouth feels so clean and fresh afterwards! It keeps my sinuses clear if I do it a couple of times a day, it mostly has stopped the regular nosebleeds that I have had forever, and greatly improved my TMJ. I do have to do oil pull at least twice a day. I just can't say enough about it.
My teeth are shot because of severe dry mouth but my gums are healthy and the prosthodontist and periodontist that I am working with are amazed that my gums are fine and I am not in pain. The periodontist was really excited when I told him about it because the subject had just come up on a professional forum he is on. I think he will be researching it and spreading the word. My acupuncturist has been recommending it.
Gosh, I worry about my teeth, Felter. I see how bone dry my teeth are in the morning and sometimes in the middle of the day. And they feel dry. I've already had the two root-canaled teeth decay under the gum deep inside. Who knew 'dead' teeth could do that? It didn't happen until the dry mouth got bad. There was no holes on the outside of those teeth -- they decayed from within.
A little off the subject but I noticed Felter mention nosebleeds. I started getting them a few months ago. The oil pulling made a difference? I wouldn't have guessed but all of the sinus cavities are so closely connected it makes sense.
I have been running humidifier at night but I have gotten them at work too, which freaks me out (dry heat or freezing cold there, no in between). It would be nice to know there is something that helps. And also something preventative to help avoid dental issues. I'm lucky so far.
Is there a particular brand you suggest or any thing to look for? (i.e.; flaxseed oil should be cold-pressed, etc)
Thanks everyone!
The oil pulling has definitely helped. I had nosebleeds, bad ones, even when I ran 2 humidifiers all the time. I wish that I had started oil pulling before the enamel on my teeth was shot. It probably didn't help that I was drinking kombucha every day which helped me systemically but probably speeded up the enamel loss. Getting the restorative work that I need is turning into a really big deal.
I was a Kombucha drinker, too. It's so good for the gut, but those are too sugary so I had to stop, too, when all this started up.
I just use coconut oil. The traditional oil to use is sesame oil but it feels too oily and the coconut oil doesn't. I get organic virgin coconut oil at Costco for a decent price.