Saliva: A Remarkable Fluid
Saliva happens all day, every day in healthy mouths, and we don't even have to think about it. Saliva is produced by a series of major and minor glands located throughout your mouth. Three pairs of major salivary glands—the parotid, submandibular and sublingual—produce 90% of the saliva we need every day.
Like the individual elements in your favorite recipe, your saliva contains essential ingredients for your health and wellness. From a sprinkle of proteins that protect your immunity, to a dash of buffers that restore the pH balance on your teeth, every ingredient is crucial! Just add water (99 parts) and bake at 98.6 degrees, 24 hours a day, and you'll always be ready with your own recipe for health!
- The average person creates approximately 600 mL of saliva daily, enough to fill a vending machine soft-drink bottle.
- Teeth would decay much more quickly without the remarkable 1% of saliva that contains enzymes and proteins.
- Tasting sweet, salty, bitter and sour foods would be much more difficult without saliva.
- The mere mention of food is enough to increase the flow of saliva.
- Children produce almost as much saliva as adults.
- The pH of saliva is between 6.0 and 7.0, making it slightly acidic.
As a mirror reveals your unique traits, your saliva mirrors your health. Changes in your saliva can help indicate temporary illnesses or more serious conditions. Soon health care professionals will be able to tell as much about your health from saliva as they can from blood. This less painful, more patient and health professional friendly testing option is within spitting distance!
Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body!
The Mouth-Body Connection
Is there a link between periodontitis (advanced gum disease) and some health problems? Emerging scientific research suggests that bacteria causing periodontitis can enter the blood stream and have an effect on other systemic conditions.
- Heart Disease – Oral bacteria entering the bloodstream due to advanced gum disease may attach to fatty plaques in the arteries surrounding the heart helping to form clots and could lead to a heart attack.
- Diabetes – The link between advanced periodontal disease and diabetes may be a two-way street. Diabetics develop gum disease more easily because diabetes slows the body's natural healing process and blood-sugar levels may be adversely affected by advanced gum disease.
- Stroke – Oral bacteria entering the bloodstream due to advanced gum disease may attach to fatty plaques in the arteries of the brain helping to form clots, which can block blood flow.
Brush, Floss, Rinse
- You can help saliva protect your teeth, mouth and body by removing plaque.
- Plaque is a white film of bacteria (biofilm) and food debris that covers your entire mouth.
- Plaque left on teeth can lead to:
- Gingivitis – A mild periodontal disease, that affects only the gums, causing bleeding. It is the first step to periodontitis.
- Periodontitis – A serious gum infection that affects the structures supporting the teeth and results in bone loss around the teeth.
Steps to a Healthy Mouth
- Brushing
- Brush twice each day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Use a soft bristle brush.
- Brush your tongue.
- Flossing
- Floss once a day to effectively remove plaque from the surfaces of teeth which touch.
- Hold the floss in a "C" shape against the side of the tooth.
- Move the floss up and down to remove plaque.
- Never use a "back-and-forth" motion.
- Antimicrobial mouthrinse
- Why use it? – Because the bacteria in plaque causes gingivitis and periodontitis
- Brushing & flossing only removes plaque from your teeth.
- Antimicrobial mouthrinse can reduce bacterial activity in your whole mouth. Even in places where a brush and floss can–t reach.
- How to use it? – Rinse for 30 seconds morning and night.
- Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks.
- Visit a dentist regularly.
