Dentist in Encinitas Explains the Important Part Saliva Plays in Keeping Your Mouth Healthy

Sure, brushing and flossing are important parts of keeping your mouth healthy, but did you know how vital saliva is to your oral health? People typically produce between two and four pints of saliva per day. Clearly all of this saliva is serving a purpose, allow your dentist in Encinitas to explain.

One of the main jobs of saliva is to aid in digestion, and it is a major part of getting the process started. Saliva helps you chew, swallow, taste, and break down food. This is commonly understood, but it is some the other things that saliva does that are the reasons your Carlsbad dentist area finds it to be so important.

There are a few ways that saliva helps keep your mouth healthy. One reason saliva is an important part of oral hygiene is what it contains. Saliva possesses antimicrobial agents that help protect your teeth and fight bacteria. Additionally, saliva  contains calcium and phosphate, both of which help to remineralize teeth and strengthen the enamel.

Your saliva also plays a vital part in keeping your mouth clean after you eat or drink. It washes away debris and pieces of food that remain in your mouth after swallowing and could potentially get caught in your teeth. Not only that, it also is able to neutralize harmful acids that would otherwise begin breaking down enamel and causing cavities. In short, saliva plays a big part in making your next visit to the La Costa dental office as simple as possible.

Dry mouth is a problem for people who have trouble producing enough saliva. If you have this problem, your dentist in Encinitas suggests chewing on sugar-free gum, sucking on sugar-free hard candy, or simply drinking a lot of water. At night we produce less saliva than during the day, so it is advisable to keep a glass of water next to your bed to sip on when you wake up in the middle of the night. This will help you battle the harmful bacteria that can build up overnight and can also help you preemptively battle bad breath in the morning.

If you would like to know other ways saliva helps you maintain good oral health or would like to get answers to any other questions about any other aspect of oral hygiene, reach out to the staff at Solana Family Dental who will happily answer any questions you may have. Call (858) 345-4497 to make an appointment today.