Oral moisture care should fit the person, not just the symptom

Why comfort, communication and the ability to accept care matter, especially at the end of life

Imagine a care home resident called Joan. She has always enjoyed chatting with her daughter, but lately their conversations have become shorter. Joan is living with advanced dementia and has grown frailer following an illness. Her dentures feel uncomfortable, her mouth often feels dry, and speaking takes more effort.

Her daughter might assume that Joan has less to say. Yet there could be something else worth investigating: is discomfort in her mouth making it harder for her to speak?

Joan is a fictional example, but the question is a real one for families and care teams. Oral care affects more than whether someone’s teeth have been cleaned. A comfortable mouth can matter when a person wants to eat, speak, smile or enjoy a visit from someone they love.

Why might someone’s mouth feel dry?

Oral dryness can happen for many reasons. Examples include:

• Medication: Some prescribed medicines can leave the mouth feeling dry.

• Menopause: Changes during and after menopause may be accompanied by mouth symptoms, including a feeling of dryness.

• Cancer treatment: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy, particularly to the head and neck, can affect the mouth.

• Health conditions: Diabetes and Sjögren’s syndrome are among the conditions that may be associated with oral dryness.

• Mouth breathing: Breathing through the mouth, including while asleep, can leave it feeling dry.

• Reduced fluid intake: This may become more likely when someone is unwell or approaching the end of life.

For people receiving palliative or end of life care, several of these factors may come together. Medicines, reduced drinking, mouth breathing and oxygen therapy can all contribute.

The cause matters because an oral moisture product may help someone feel more comfortable, but persistent dryness can also need assessment by a healthcare or dental professional.

The human impact of oral dryness

The effect is personal. For one person, a dry mouth may make food less enjoyable. For another, speaking may become uncomfortable. Someone else may feel distressed by an unpleasant sensation they cannot easily explain.

That is why it helps to look beyond the symptom. If a person becomes quieter, avoids food or seems reluctant to accept mouth care, the care team may need to investigate what has changed. Dryness may be part of the picture, alongside soreness, an uncomfortable denture or another oral health concern.

For someone approaching the end of life, everyday interactions can carry particular meaning. Feeling comfortable enough to speak with a loved one, enjoy a familiar taste or share a smile can matter greatly to the person and their family.

One need, two oral moisture care situations

Even when two people both need help with oral moisture, they may need it in different ways.

One person may recognise that their mouth feels dry and prefer to use a spray themselves. Another may need a carer to support mouth care. They may have limited dexterity, find a spray difficult to use, or be too unwell to apply a product independently.

Taste, smell, texture and the way a product is applied can also affect whether someone finds it comfortable or acceptable. How long the mouth feels moisturised matters too, particularly when a person relies on someone else to help with their care.

This is the thinking behind the development of the Senses moisture care range from BuddiesForLife®: products designed to help the mouth feel comfortably moisturised for longer, in formats suited to different care situations.

The Senses Oral Moisture Spray is designed for independent use. It offers a gentle mist, a light Apple Fresh flavour and a neutral pH, helping the mouth feel comfortably moisturised and fresh.

The Senses Gel Ampoule, planned for early 2027, is being developed for assisted care. Its proposed single-use, glycerin-free format is intended for application with gauze, a suitable oral swab or a toothbrush. It could offer another way to support oral comfort when someone needs help with mouth care, including in palliative or end of life settings.

Both products contain spilanthes acmella, included to support the body’s natural saliva response. In a recent trial of a formulation containing the ingredient, resting saliva levels increased by 20% after twice-daily use for two weeks.

Start with the person

A product is only one part of good mouth care. The first step is to notice what the person may be experiencing and what support they need.

Can they tell you their mouth feels uncomfortable? Are there signs of soreness or food remaining in the mouth? Do their dentures still feel comfortable? Can they use a product themselves, or would assisted care be more appropriate?

These questions matter particularly when someone cannot easily explain what is wrong. At the end of life, the aim may be as simple and significant as helping a person feel comfortable enough to share a few words with someone close to them.

Oral moisture care cannot be one size fits all. The format should fit the person and the situation.