You maintain good your oral hygiene, take a good amount of water throughout the day, but still struggle to shake off a persistent dry mouth. This could be a sign of diabetes.

One of the most common symptoms of diabetes is dry mouth, and it occurs in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Dry mouth is caused by reduced amount of saliva in your mouth, characterised by symptoms such as a rough and dry tongue, lack of moisture and frequent pain of the oral cavityand cracked and chapped lips etc.

While the exact reason to why diabetes patients suffer from dry mouth is unknown, high blood sugar levels is thought to be a significant contributor to this condition.Other diabetic-related oral health problems include gingivitis, gum disease, and periodontitis.

If you experience persistentdry mouth and suspect you have diabetes, talk to your doctor for advice.