What is the Role of Saliva in maintaining your Oral Health?

Most of us are unaware of the fact that saliva plays a vital role in keeping our teeth and gums healthy. Less flow of saliva into the human mouth can be the reason for several dental problems such as dental cavities, oral infection, etc. Are you wondering why? In this blog, we are going to talk about the relationship between saliva and oral health. Go through the sections below to find an answer to all queries related to this topic. 

What is Saliva?

Saliva can be defined as an exocrine solution that consists of 99%-98% of water and a variety of electrolytes and proteins. The presence of these components is responsible for the functions performed by your saliva. Less intake of water can affect the production of saliva and as a result, contribute to the chances of facing dental problems. 

What are the key functions of Saliva?

The functions of saliva can be divided into two major categories – providing protection to the peri-oral and oral tissues & helping the process of eating and speaking. We have listed the benefits in the pointers below:

• It does the important task of lubricating your mouth
• Essential in dilution of sugars after consumption of food and drink
• Responsible for cleaning and antimicrobial activities
• Useful in neutralizing the acid production inside the human mouth
• Remineralises the enamel (outermost layer of the human teeth) with phosphates and calcium
• Plays an important role in the repair of tissues inside your mouth
• Helps to enhance the taste
• Enhances chewing and swallowing
• Enables speech by lubricating the moving mouthparts

We hope that you have gained a clear understanding of the importance of saliva

Most importantly, your saliva is primarily responsible for washing away the food particles stuck in between the teeth or along the gum line. It also fights against the harmful bacteria present in the human mouth. So, less or little flow of saliva into your mouth creates ideal circumstances for the buildup of plaque (the yellow film-like substance that consists of bad bacteria) and bacterial growth. Make sure to drink an adequate amount of water regularly to avoid this problem.

Causes of a Dry Mouth

Some of the causes of dry mouth include:

• Suffering from certain health problems such as diabetes, AIDS/HIV, Sjogren’s syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, etc
• Obstruction is the duct for saliva flow
• Undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy
• Having some structural problems in the salivary duct or gland
• Smoking cigarettes

If you are suffering from the problem of dry mouth even after adequate intake of water and maintaining a proper oral hygiene routine, do not hesitate to consult the dentists at West Olds Dental. We have the best dentists in Street Olds, Alberta who are here to help you out with the best quality dental care. So, why wait anymore? Do not ignore minor oral health-related issues and give us a call today.