Drooling - Home Care

Home Care

Care for drooling due to teething includes good oral hygiene. Ice pops or other cold objects (e.g., frozen bagels) may be helpful. Care must be taken to avoid choking when a child uses any of these objects.

Drooling is also common in children with neurological disorders and those with undiagnosed developmental delay. The reason for excessive drooling seems to be related to

1. Lack of awareness of the build-up of saliva in the mouth,
2. Infrequent swallowing,
3. Inefficient swallowing,
4. Impossibility of swallowing by obstructive diseases (tumors, stenosis),
5. Impossibility of swallowing by neurodegenerative diseases (amyotrophic lateral scleroris).

Treatment of excessive drooling is related to these causes:

1. Increased awareness of the mouth and its functions,
2. Increased frequency of swallowing,
3. Increased swallowing skill,
4. Diminishing of saliva production by the local use of botulinum toxin A,
5. Surgical interventions (salivary duct relocalization, resection of salivary glands) in severe cases.