How Saliva Affects Your Oral Health?

Did you know that your saliva helps to keep your teeth strong? Too much saliva or too little saliva are both harmful to your body. The saliva helps to wash away the debris and bacteria in your mouth and prevents gingivitis and other dental woes.

Want to know more about the importance of saliva when it comes to your oral health and how it is produced in your mouth? Read along as we share with you everything you must know about the function of saliva.

What is saliva?

Saliva is a clear liquid substance produced by the salivary glands in your mouth. The salivary glands are located at the bottom of your mouth and near your front teeth by the jaw bone.

Your saliva is primarily made of water but it also contains substances that are essential to make your job of digesting your food easy. Did you know that your mouth produces the most amount of saliva in the afternoon and the least amount of it at night?

How is Saliva Formed in the Mouth?

Saliva is majorly formed by three pairs of glands:

• Parotid
• Submandibular
• Sublingual salivary glands

These three glands contribute to 90% of the total saliva secretion in your mouth. The rest 10% of your saliva is produced by numerous minor salivary glands located in your oral cavity.

Note that when a substance is placed in your oral cavity, the flow of your saliva increases dramatically depending on the taste, concentration and consistency of the food item you consume. You make saliva when you chew your food. The harder you chew your food, the more saliva is produced in your mouth.

Importance & Function Of Saliva For Oral Health

We all know that saliva helps in food digestion. But did you know that besides that there are a plethora of benefits of saliva? Some common benefits of saliva that you must know are:

• Keeps your mouth moist and prevents dry mouth
• Helps you swallow your food
• Fights germs in your mouth and prevents bad breath
• Helps to keep your denture in place
• Prevents tooth decay and gum diseases
• Has proteins and minerals which protect your tooth enamel
• Maintains the pH level in your mouth
• Moisturises the inside of your mouth and helps you talk clearly

The Bottomline

Your saliva helps to keep your mouth moist and free from bacteria and germs. It also prevents you from choking on your food and creates a protective layer on top of your tooth enamel which keeps your teeth healthy and balances their pH.

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FAQs

What is your saliva made of?

Your saliva is made of proteins, enzymes, mucin and electrolytes.

What increases saliva?

Chewing and sucking help to stimulate your saliva production. Hence, if you want to increase your saliva production, you must consider sucking ice cubes, sugar-free gums and candies.

Does drinking water help to produce more saliva?

Yes, you can boost your saliva production by drinking plenty of water. We recommend you drink at least 8 glasses of water every day to ensure good oral health.

What is artificial saliva?

If you suffer from chronic dry mouth, your dentist may recommend rinsing your mouth with artificial saliva. Artificial saliva is typically sold in sprays and it helps to keep your mouth moist and comfortable. However, note that artificial saliva doesn’t have the proteins, enzymes and minerals which real saliva contains.

How do I stop excess saliva in my mouth?

You can consider treating excess saliva by using botox injections, going for surgery, attending speech therapy, changing your sleep position, using an oral appliance and through prescribed medication.