When was the last time you thought about saliva? Most of us take a healthy saliva flow for granted, but it is essential for good oral health and proper digestion. When someone cannot produce enough saliva, it can cause substantial problems for oral health.
What is Saliva?
Saliva is an amazing fluid produced by your salivary glands. It is mainly water but also contains magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphates and bicarbonate, and other substances, including proteins and immunoglobulins. Important enzymes in saliva help break down food as you bite and chew, beginning the first stage of digestion. Healthy saliva has a pH level of between six and seven, helping to keep your mouth clean and fresh and protecting against a harmful buildup of bacteria.
Important Functions of Saliva
A good saliva flow helps to wash away food debris, so food particles are less likely to remain trapped around your teeth and other areas inside your mouth. Your saliva helps you taste food more fully, and as you chew, it lubricates food so you can swallow it more easily. In addition to helping wash away food debris that could feed harmful bacteria, increasing the risk of tooth decay in Whitby, saliva also buffers acids that can weaken and erode tooth enamel. It also supports remineralization, delivering minerals to your tooth enamel that help protect it against harmful acids.
What Happens When You Can’t Produce Enough Saliva?
People who can’t produce enough saliva have a condition called xerostomia or dry mouth in Oshawa. A lack of saliva increases the risk of dental diseases, including tooth decay and gum disease. It can make it less comfortable to wear dental appliances like dentures. Additionally, people with xerostomia may be more prone to bad breath.
What Causes Xerostomia?
Sometimes it’s simply a case of not drinking enough water and is down to dehydration. Other times xerostomia can be a side-effect of many medications, including over-the-counter medicines and prescription medication. It can be a side-effect of certain medical treatments like cancer therapy. Certain health conditions can cause xerostomia, including diabetes, Sjogren’s syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Smoking and tobacco use can cause dry mouth.
Treating Dry Mouth
If you are concerned about dry mouth, our friendly dental team at Margolian Dentistry can offer useful advice and help. We can assess your oral health to determine if you have a dry mouth and develop strategies to help you manage this condition. One option is using artificial saliva that we can prescribe, or you can buy over the counter. We might also recommend more frequent checkups and dental cleanings. A professional dental cleaning is extremely useful because it removes hardened plaque, called calculus, which contains harmful bacteria. Removing this substance more frequently will help protect your oral health. If your dry mouth in Ajax is a side effect of prescription medications, it could be useful to see your GP. They might be able to change the medicine or adjust the dosage. You should never stop taking or change the dosage of a medicine without first speaking with your doctor.
How to Maintain a Healthy Flow of Saliva
You need to stay well-hydrated to produce plenty of saliva, so make sure you drink lots of water and eat foods with higher water contents, such as fruit and vegetables like celery and apples. It’s also important to have a varied diet as chewing foods helps encourage saliva flow. If you have allergies and are prone to mouth breathing, try to address these so you can breathe through your nose more easily. Mouth breathing can dry out your mouth more easily.
