Typical causes of dry mouth can include mouth breathing, medications, autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy, nerve injury, and stress/anxiety. One study1 looked at the effect of stress, anxiety, and depression on unstimulated salivary flow, and it found a 40% drop in flow rates when compared to patients without these factors. COVID-19 has been a tremendous source of depression, anxiety, fear, and stress among the population as a whole. Combined with mouth breathing from mask use, COVID-19’s impact on dry mouth can be substantial. Dry mouth can make tasting, chewing, swallowing and speaking difficult. It may lead to a burning feeling, cracked lips,…
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