Dry Mouth as Port of Marijuana Discussion.

• Position: XEROSTOMIA

With every passing election cycle, more states are legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Eight states and the District of Columbia currently have such laws, while nearly half the states in the Union have some form of a medical marijuana law on their books.

Whether pro or con to the marijuana argument, dentist and bacteriologist Harold Katz--founder of The California Breath Clinics and author of The Bad Breath Bible--indicates there is one aspect of smoking weed that no one is talking about. "One of the side effects of marijuana is dry mouth, otherwise known as cotton mouth. I don't see anyone discussing the negative effects of smoking marijuana, particularly to oral health."

Katz says the effects of dry mouth can lead to bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease, which is linked to an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Millions of people suffer from dry mouth, known as xerostomia. Dry mouth affects the ability to maintain a sufficient flow of saliva in the mouth, which eliminates food debris in the mouth, kills viruses, and discourages the anaerobic bacterial growth that produces chronic bad breath.

There are many different causes of dry mouth, but Katz says three of the most-common causes that can be controlled include:

* Smoking tobacco and marijuana. Studies have shown that long-term smoking significantly reduces salivary flow. This reduction is...