Drooling

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KEY POINTS

• Drooling is a dripping of saliva from the mouth. A lot of drooling can irritate the skin of the face, neck, and chest. It can also be embarrassing to an older child.
• Treatment may include speech and language therapy, medicines, or surgery.
• Follow the treatment recommended by your child’s healthcare provider. Ask your child’s healthcare provider how to take care of your child at home.

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What is drooling?

Drooling is a dripping of saliva from the mouth. A lot of drooling can irritate the skin of the face, neck, and chest. It can also be embarrassing to an older child.

What is the cause?

It’s normal for babies to drool. As babies get older, they normally stop drooling. Most children don't drool after the age of 4 years. However, children with some disabilities drool a lot because their muscles and nerves don’t work properly, and it’s hard for them to swallow saliva. A child may also drool if the child is making too much saliva or if the teeth don’t fit together in the right way.

Talk to your child’s health care provider if:

• Your child starts drooling suddenly
• Your child’s drooling increases a lot
• Your child begins to have trouble swallowing

This could be a sign of infection.

How is it diagnosed?

Your child’s healthcare provider will examine your child. Your child may have X-ray tests to check your child’s swallowing.

How is it treated?

If your child drools a lot, the problem can be treated in several ways:

• Treatment by a speech or occupational therapist
  • Therapists can help your child learn to close the lips, move the saliva to the back of the mouth, and swallow.
  • Learning how to use a straw to drink fluids can help.
  • Improving posture and body position can also be helpful.
• Medicines

  Medicines may be used to help some children make less saliva while they are learning how to swallow better.

• Surgery

  Surgery may be done to change the direction of the ducts that lead from the salivary glands to the mouth, or to remove salivary gland tissue.

  Sometimes the surgery may be done with a laser. This treatment allows a quicker recovery than other types of surgery.

• Botulinum injection

  Shots of a medicine called Botulinum toxin (Botox) may be given into the glands that make saliva. The shots are given after your child is given an anesthetic to numb the area. This treatment helps reduce drooling and lasts up to 8 months.

How can I take care of my child?

• Follow the treatment recommended by your child’s healthcare provider.
• Use bibs to help protect skin and clothing. The use of bandannas, or a bib that matches the shirt or dress, especially in older children, can make the bib less noticeable.

Ask your healthcare provider:

• How to take care of your child at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if your child has them

Make sure you know when you should bring your child back for a checkup.