It makes us almost drool when we think of our most favorite, comforting meals, making our mouths water as we recall the delicious smells and tastes. It increases or decreases depending on medications or hormones, and contains DNA. It’s saliva!
This watery substance you swallow up to 700 times a day isn’t just for drooling – it plays a major role in your oral health. It’s a secretion your body creates with many components that protect your body and teeth. But what exactly is it, and how does it play an important role in oral health? Continue reading to learn about the role of saliva in oral health and gain a deeper understanding of this familiar bodily fluid.
What is Saliva?
The secretion your body makes to keep your mouth moist, saliva is a watery substance that’s full of water, enzymes, mucus, antibodies, and electrolytes. This watery fluid is constantly being produced by your salivary glands, little glands in your mouth that are located below your ears, beneath your jaw, and under your tongue. They create and release saliva to act as a lubricant for your mouth and break down food.
Saliva is produced by the body for several reasons: digesting food, fighting germs and keeping you healthy, helping you taste foods better, and protecting your teeth and gums. Saliva has enzymes that affect your oral health.
How Does Saliva Affect Oral Health?
Hard to believe that saliva does more than just keep your mouth moist, but it actually is crucial to your overall oral health. How? Below are some of the many ways saliva affects oral health:
Protects Your Teeth and Gums
Daily brushing and flossing keep teeth clean and remove food stuck between them, but did you know that a healthy mouth starts before you even brush? Your saliva protects your teeth and gums by keeping them moist and washing away harmful starches, sugars, and acids that, if saliva didn’t exist, would remain on the teeth and weaken enamel. When you swallow, your saliva helps wash these harmful particles and bacteria away from the teeth and gums, constantly reproducing new saliva to continue to wash away bacteria throughout the day. It’s an awesome, never-ending cycle that keeps your teeth and gums healthier!
Keeps You Healthier
Your saliva is mostly water, making it about 99% of what’s found in it. There are other proteins and enzymes that all play a role in protecting your mouth, including antibodies and antimicrobial proteins that can kill harmful bacteria. The result? A healthier mouth that can kill bacteria that can cause infections.
Helps You Taste & Enjoy Foods
The human tongue is covered with small bumps called papillae full of cells that are sensitive to different flavors, including sweet treats, salty foods, and bitter coffees. While a tongue can detect flavors that the brain tells you are sweet, sour, or savory, saliva also helps with detecting flavors. Because saliva can dissolve foods in your mouth, it helps break down the food even more, allowing your tongue to taste flavors more than if there were no saliva.
Aids in Digestion
We previously mentioned that saliva contains 99% water, while the other 1% is a mixture of enzymes, antibodies, electrolytes, and mucus. The enzymes found in saliva break down the foods you put into your mouth, aiding in digestion before you even swallow your first bite of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They start to break down fats and carbs before they reach the stomach, helping to kickstart the digestion process.
Prevents Bad Breath
Bad breath is a natural reaction to bacteria in the mouth that everyone experiences, but a lack of saliva can exacerbate it. When a mouth becomes dry, bacteria will multiply and release sulfur compounds, causing those unpleasant odors that we try to cover up with gum and breath mints. Bacteria thrive in a dry mouth, and saliva helps wash those bacteria away, preventing their growth. Your body naturally produces the correct amount of saliva to keep your mouth healthy and moist. However, speak to your doctor if you experience dry mouth or frequent bad breath.
Saliva plays many roles in keeping our mouths and bodies healthier, going beyond maintaining a moist mouth. From protecting your teeth and gums, fighting off bacteria, helping you enjoy your favorite foods, aiding in digestion, and preventing bad breath, saliva is a crucial component to maintaining excellent oral hygiene.
If you experience dry mouth, you’re not alone. It’s a common issue, and there are some things you can do to help treat and prevent dry mouth. From swapping medications to staying hydrated and speaking with your family dentist, you can be more comfortable and increase saliva production.
Rhoades Family Dentistry Can Help Improve Your Saliva and Oral Health
Rhoades Family Dentistry offers dental care for the entire family, including routine cleanings, preventative maintenance, fillings, and more. Dr. Hahn and Dr. Driscoll care about your family’s oral health and are here to help recommend the best type of oral hygiene practices for your entire family, including helping with saliva and oral health. Visiting the dentist often will help keep your mouth moist, and we can recommend some ways to prevent dry mouth.
Book an appointment today by scrolling up and clicking “BOOK AN APPOINTMENT” on the top left of your screen or by calling (913) 782-8900. We look forward to serving you by providing excellent dental care and giving your family healthy smiles!
