Dry Mouth Relief Market

Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, occurs because of the lack of saliva production. Typically, dry mouth is not a disease but is a result of various conditions such as side-effects of certain medicines, cigarette smoking, harmful effects of radiation exposure to the areas of head and neck, dehydration, aging population, and mouth bleeding, among others. The above-mentioned factors increase the demand for dry mouth treatment products, which results in increasing market growth.

Additionally, the growing prevalence of diabetes, which results in high blood sugar levels, can cause dry mouth, which contributes to market growth. However, lack of awareness and ignorance of the condition can hamper the market growth. Likewise, the development of innovative products would serve as an opportunity for market growth.

The aging population is highly prone to various diseases and health conditions, which eventually leads to a rise in diagnosis and treatment. Xerostomia is the most common condition occurring in the elderly population due to several health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and others. For instance, the National Council of Aging (NCOA) reported that currently, around 80% of the old population has at least one of the chronic diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes, heart failure, and depression. Additionally, according to the World Health Organization 2018 datasheet, it is stated that the aging population between 2015 and 2050, will increase from 12% to 22% across the world.

Moreover, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), the dry mouth condition usually affects the geriatric population, and it is likely that about 20% of the geriatric population across the globe is affected by it. However, OCF also reported that dry mouth is not only related to aging but also to high consumption of medications that cause xerostomia as a side-effect.

Such an increasing aging population with various health conditions and side-effects of medication leads to an increase in the demand for dry mouth relief products.

Dry mouth relief products are available in both over the counter (OTC) and prescription forms. There are various companies involved in developing mouth moisturizing products as a treatment option for patients who have a problem with saliva secretion. There are different public and private companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, 3M, Sanofi, and others involved in developing and launching oral care products in various forms such as toothpaste, mouthwash, mint, and others. For instance, in November 2018, 3M announced the launch of new 3M Xerostomia Relief Spray, which is a clinically proven solution that prevents xerostomia symptoms. The launch of this product will grow the companies’ oral health segment. Moreover, in February 2017, TheraBreath announced the launch of the new TheraBreath Dry Mouth Oral Rinse. The adaptation of new technology and the launch of innovative dry mouth products will help the company to grow its dental product portfolio.

Hence, the rising development and launch of dry mouth care products are likely to act as an opportunity for the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Many of the oral problems develop very slowly and are caused due to carelessness. Many of these problems are minor while some of them need special treatments which are expensive. In developing regions, people do not have enough capital to have treatment for diseases. However, many of them do not know about such health conditions, and this leads to the increasing severity of problems. According to the American Dental Association, the decrease in salivary secretion can cause difficulties in chewing, tasting, swallowing, and speaking.

Furthermore, it increases the chance of demineralization of teeth, developing dental decay, tooth sensitivity, or oral infections, which lead to an increase in the demand for mouth moisturizing products. The FDI World Dental Federation reported that, currently, 3.9 billion people across the globe are affected by various oral problems. It is reported that dry mouth is not considered a top priority oral disease and has a low awareness level among the public despite its noisome symptoms and complications. The lack of knowledge leading to the loss in timely management of dry mouth conditions is likely to hamper the growth of the global dry mouth relief market.