I have become somewhat of an unwilling expert on dry mouth these last few years since a major surgery required removal of my left salivary gland.  There are still minor glands on that side that have come back somewhat; however, wintertime and air conditioning – especially at night sleeping or traveling in a car – have me feeling as though I’m traversing the Sahara Desert at midday with rolls of cotton in my mouth.

One of the best things I have found is a quiet humidifier for use day and night.  (Did I also mention that I HATE noise, such as fans blowing, especially at night???)  We have a large Holmes humidifier with dual tanks for dumping water into the air during the daytime and a Crane for use at night.  The Crane can be purchased in many colors, even in the shape of animals for children, and is the quietest on the market.  It will also last all night.

The second thing that I use is aloe.  My favorite is Market America’s Ultimate Aloe in Strawberry Kiwi.  I get the liquid to sip on during the day, sometimes mixing it with sparkling water or regular water.  I keep the dry packets in my purse to mix with water when eating out or to put in a bottle of water if I am out and my mouth is dry – almost always!  When I am in a meeting or working with a client, I couldn’t talk for more than a few minutes without coating my throat with aloe.  You can read about Ultimate Aloe and Ultimate Aloe Powder here: www.AnnByars.com

The other thing that I have found very helpful is mouth rinse and mouth/vocal spray – and let me tell you, I think I have tried them all!  I am somewhat of a challenge because I am a vegetarian and don’t want any animal or egg products in what I use.  One of the leading brands, Biotene, contains eggs.  My favorite mouth rinse is Orazyme both for flavor and consistency.  Some of them leave an icky feeling in your mouth; but, Orazyme has a nice flavor and feel.

I finally hit upon vocal sprays for singers.  I have always loved singing – but didn’t think about looking for sprays to help my dry throat in that section.  I have tried Thayers, Stoppers, Vocal Eze, Entertainer’s Secret – and my favorite by far is Clear Voice.  Clear Voice comes in various flavors so that I can choose my favorite or get a variety and the bottle is small and light enough to fit in my purse or in a pocket.  I think my second choice is Entertainer’s Secret; but, the cap is a bit cumbersome to get on and off in the middle of the night.

For the car, Slique gum made by Young Living is my favorite.  It is a Frankincense resin that I can chew on for hours to stimulate saliva, and it is not sweet or sticky.

I don’t wish this condition on anyone and hope that these suggestions help.