What could cause drooling on the right side of the mouth?

Reviewed by Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal Medicine

Drooling from one side of the mouth typically occurs when nerves or muscles on that side are weakened, impairing your ability to swallow saliva evenly. Common causes include Bell's palsy, stroke, nerve damage, or muscle weakness affecting facial control on the affected side.

Because one-sided drooling can signal anything from a minor issue to a serious neurological condition like stroke, identifying the underlying cause quickly matters. A free, instant, online symptom check can help you understand possible causes based on your specific symptoms and guide your next steps—whether that means monitoring at home or seeking urgent care.

Reviewed for medical accuracy: 07/15/2026

Important Next Steps

Learn why one-sided drooling is happening Discover if your drooling needs urgent care See what may be causing this drooling Find OTC options for drooling symptoms Find a doctor for drooling causes Discover safe home remedies for drooling Understand if one-sided drooling needs evaluation

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Explanation

Your body makes saliva to help you chew and swallow, and normally you swallow it all the time. Sometimes, however, one side of your mouth, such as the right side, may not work as well as the left because of small differences in nerve or muscle control.

When the muscles do not close tightly or the nerves send weak signals on that side, saliva can build up and drip out. This type of drooling can be seen in people with certain neurological conditions. These conditions can affect how well your mouth muscles work, making it harder to keep saliva inside, and may lead to more drooling on one side.

In some cases, medications or even slight injuries can change the way saliva is handled. If the drooling bothers you or makes eating or talking difficult, you can use this free symptom checker to better understand what might be causing your symptoms before speaking with a healthcare provider. They can check your mouth and nerves to find the best way to help stop the extra saliva from building up on one side.

(References)

Morgante F, Bavikatte G, Anwar F, Mohamed B. The burden of sialorrhoea in chronic neurological conditions: current treatment options and the role of incobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin®). Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2019 Nov 28;12:1756286419888601. doi: 10.1177/1756286419888601. PMID: 31819763; PMCID: PMC6883364.
Schubert G, Haverland J, Wyst CV, McGreevy J. How Much Drool Is Too Much? Clin Pediatr Emerg Med. 2019 Dec;20(4):100742. doi: 10.1016/j.cpem.2019.100742. Epub 2019 Dec 13. PMID: 32288647; PMCID: PMC7106023.
Iorgulescu G. Saliva between normal and pathological. Important factors in determining systemic and oral health. J Med Life. 2009 Jul-Sep;2(3):303-7. PMID: 20112475; PMCID: PMC5052503.

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