Dry mouth

Medication, sleep, and the reason water doesn’t fix it.

Editorial illustration: roll of medical tape close up

The Problem Might Be Airflow, Not Saliva

For the people it works for it works well, and the reason is airflow rather than saliva. It also fails in a specific way, and there is one thing to check first.

Editorial illustration: spray bottle close up minimal still life

Four Named Products and What Each Is For

Biotene is a rinse, XyliMelts are discs, gels and sprays are something else again. Three mechanisms for dry mouth, and one of them cannot be bought in Europe.

Editorial illustration: An ancient cracked ceramic drinking cup with dried salt crust, lit like a relic on black slate

What Still Works at 3am

Saliva stops overnight and doesn't come back until morning. We tried five products aimed at that window and judged them on the same two questions.

Editorial illustration: Split prescription tablet on a cracked porcelain saucer, its powder spilling like enamel dust un

"My Teeth Started Rapidly Detonating"

Teeth that were fine for thirty years don't start failing by coincidence. For a lot of people the cause is sitting in the pill organizer, and nobody mentioned it.