Dear Doctors: I've noticed as I'm getting older — I just turned 63 — that I have more episodes of dry mouth. I'm told this isn't unusual for older people. Why would that be? Chewing gum helps, but I don't enjoy it. Are there things I should eat or avoid that can help this go away?

Dear Reader: Dry mouth is just as it sounds, a shortage of saliva that leaves the tongue, teeth and inner surfaces of the mouth without adequate hydration and lubrication. Also known as xerostomia, this occurs when the salivary glands don't produce enough saliva.

For most people, dry mouth is something that happens occasionally, often when they are nervous, anxious or under stress. But for an estimated 10% of the population, the condition becomes chronic.

Symptoms include a perceptible drop in saliva product

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