{"id":285,"date":"2024-04-23T13:30:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T13:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/?p=285"},"modified":"2024-04-23T13:32:33","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T13:32:33","slug":"why-is-saliva-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/23\/why-is-saliva-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Saliva Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-300x200.png\" alt=\"baby dribbling \" class=\"wp-image-287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image.png 951w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>While we think about saliva just as water in the mouth, it&#8217;s quietly making many aspects of our lives possible. Normally, the body makes up to 2 to 4 pints of saliva a day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our saliva is 98% water. The remaining 2%, however, contains electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds, and various enzymes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Here are some of the amazing things saliva does for us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><u>What Saliva Does For You<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lubrication:&nbsp;<\/strong>Saliva protects the oral tissues from mechanical damage while speaking, eating, and swallowing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Helps you chew your food, taste it, and aids in swallowing:<\/strong> Salivary enzymes start breaking down carbs and fats to help digestion.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prevents bad breath: It washes away plaque and food particles.<\/strong><br><br><strong>Fights germs in your mouth to prevent infection<\/strong>: Saliva washes away sugar and food particles and prevents the overgrowth of microbes, bacteria, and yeasts in the mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remineralization<\/strong>: <strong>This helps keep the surface of your teeth strong by providing high levels of calcium<\/strong><strong>, <\/strong><strong>phosphate, <\/strong><strong>and<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>hydroxyl <strong>ions that constantly repair the damage from the acids in our food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Retaining dentures: <\/strong>In case of wearing removable top dentures, saliva allows the prosthetic to suction onto the hard palate.<br><br>Without&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.holistic-healing-information.com\/importance-of-saliva.html\">saliva&#8217;s protecting factors<\/a>&nbsp;in the mouth, the teeth are drastically more prone to cavities and the overpopulation of bacteria and mouth infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><u>Symptoms of Dry Mouth<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, causes multiple dental problems. Three of the most concerning are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fast-developing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.holistic-healing-information.com\/reversing-cavities.html\">tooth decay<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gum disease<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Candida (yeast infection)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the most common symptoms are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thick or foamy saliva<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creamy white cover on tongue, palate, or cheeks (candida or yeast infection)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Metallic taste or no taste at all<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Altered sense of smell<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bad breath (halitosis)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Burning or tingling sensation in the mouth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><u>What Causes Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)<\/u>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mouth Breathing<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dehydration<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Medications:&nbsp;<\/strong>This is the most common cause of xerostomia, or chronic dry mouth. Nearly 30% of Americans currently suffer from xerostomia. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications are causing dry mouth, including drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, colds (antihistamines&nbsp;and decongestants), epilepsy, and hypertension (diuretics).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sj\u00f6gren&#8217;s Syndrome:&nbsp;<\/strong>This&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.holistic-healing-information.com\/autoimmune-disease-symptoms.html\">autoimmune disease<\/a><strong> <\/strong>damages the glands that produce saliva and tears. People with this disease suffer from chronic dry mouth and eyes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Radiation Therapy:&nbsp;<\/strong>Irradiation of the head and neck in case of cancer treatment can destroy the salivary glands. The salivary glands either no longer function at all or produce such a reduced amount of saliva as to render it ineffective.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diabetes: <\/strong>More frequent urination and the medications taken contribute to dry mouth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><u>Does Dry Mouth Need Treatment?<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The need for dry mouth remedies will vary depending on the severity of the condition. There are rinses, gel, spray, and lozenges.&nbsp; Here are a few brands to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Biotene: <\/strong>&nbsp;Toothpaste, oral rinse, spray, gel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oasis<\/strong>: Rinse and spray<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ACT<\/strong>: Rinse and lozenge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>TheraBreath<\/strong>: Rinse and lozenge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Colgate Hydris<\/strong>: Toothpaste and rinse<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oracoat Xylimelts:<\/strong> Long-time-release discs that secure to the cheek and constantly release moisture in the mouth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several lifestyle changes you can make to help alleviate symptoms of dry mouth: drink plenty of water, use a humidifier, quit smoking, address mouth breathing, and review medication with your doctor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While we think about saliva just as water in the mouth, it&#8217;s quietly making many aspects of our lives possible. Normally, the body makes up to 2 to 4 pints of saliva a day! Our saliva is 98% water. The remaining 2%, however, contains electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds, and various enzymes. &nbsp;Here are some of the amazing things saliva does for us: <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.daradds.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/23\/why-is-saliva-important\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why is Saliva Important? | Advanced Dentistry of Alhambra | Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saliva serves an important role in keeping your teeth and entire mouth healthy. 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