Anyway, back to the subject, the lack of saliva in your mouth, if goes unnoticed for a considerable period of time can have a devastating impact on the health of your teeth. I know this for a fact because it’s happened to me so take my advice, if you have Sjogren’s or struggle with a dry mouth for any other reason discuss the problem with your dentist, go for regular dental exams and follow a very strict dental hygiene regime.

The impact of Sjogren's syndrome on your mouth is the drying out the mucus membranes and the destruction of the salivary glands which can lead to an extremely dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and eating and a reduced sense of taste. Cracked lips can become a regular occurrence, your mouth often tastes disgusting, your parotid glands (which produce saliva) can become enlarged and you can get stones in your saliva glands that make your face swell and turn you into a chipmunk within minutes!

Due to the lack of saliva, which normally assists in keeping your teeth clean, Sjogren’s can often result in a significant increase in tooth decay which left me with seven teeth down!

If you have Sjogren’s you are probably aware by now that there is no known cure and, as I was told all’s you can really do is systematically treat each symptom as it occurs. You need to try and keep your mouth moist through sipping water, sucking sugar free drops or chewing sugar free gum, none of which did it for me. Reduce your sugar intake (not good for a previously 24/7 chocoholic but it does help with weight control) and brush your teeth and mouth wash frequently. One thing that really works for me is too take the maximum possible dose of omega 3 fish oils. I take fish oil supplements daily, if I stop taking them my skin dries out, my eyes, throat and mouth become dry and sore and my parotid glands become more enlarged. Start taking it again and all my symptoms become controllable.

The amount of saliva you can produce is really important and I just only wish I had known about my Sjogren’s and the impact it was having on my teeth long before I was diagnosed. Saliva helps control infection and prevents tooth decay, without it you become really unstuck. You soon learn what foods and drinks dry your mouth out even more so avoid them where possible. Brush your teeth several times a day, floss daily and I find mouth washing at more regular intervals helps maintain the health of the teeth I have left.

Always visit a good dentist at least twice every year.