Dentist in Gainesville, VA Discusses the Important Part Saliva Plays in Your Oral Health

Of course brushing and flossing regularly are important if you want to keep your mouth healthy, but saliva is often the unsung hero of oral hygiene. Most people produce between two and four pints of saliva every day. Clearly all of this saliva is serving a purpose, read on to learn the role it plays from a dentist in Gainesville, VA.

Perhaps the most well-known part saliva plays is aiding 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 Gainesville, VA dentist area finds it to be so important.

According to the American Dental Association, saliva helps keep your mouth healthy in a variety of ways. One reason saliva is an important part of oral hygiene is what it contains. Saliva is made up of 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 enamel.

Keeping your mouth clean after eating and drinking is one way saliva aids in oral hygiene. 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 can 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 dentist as simple as possible.

People who have trouble producing enough saliva suffer from dry mouth. If you have this problem, your dentist may suggest 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 more information on the importance of saliva or other dental questions, reach out to the helpful staff at Lifetime Smiles Dental and your pediatric dentist in Gainesville, VA. We are here to help you with all of your dental and oral health care. Call (571) 248-7389 to make an appointment today.