Have you got a stinky mask mouth?

Wearing a facemask for added protection has become part of our daily life, during this global pandemic. However, donning a mask has now created an ugly side effect known as “mask mouth”.

Dentists have brought to our attention that consistent mask wearing could cause a build-up of bacteria inside our mouth and therefore lead to issues such as bad breath and decaying teeth.

Plus, people who are not used to wearing a mask get more anxious and therefore tend to breathe through their mouth instead of normally through their nose. Mouth breathing causes dryness. Having a dry mouth means that you do not have enough saliva in your mouth. Saliva performs a range of functions in our mouth. Saliva cleans, lubricates the inside of our mouth, helps maintain correct acid levels and keeps harmful bugs in check. With the absence of saliva in our mouth dental decay and gum infections can come into play.

Wearing a mask does keep us safe from infections but we can do additional things to keep our mouth healthy. Try and wear a mask made from breathable material and spend some time at home practicing so that you can get used to the sensation of having something over your face. Brush and floss twice a day, drink plenty of water and use an oral care product that promotes salivary flow.

Xerostom with Saliactive is an oral hygiene product especially formulated for people suffering from dry mouth. Xerostom has been proven to effectively increase salivary flow rate by up to 200%. Xerostom will help you recover your natural saliva flow.