Benefits of Saliva

11

Feb

Saliva’s benefits are often overlooked. Many people fixate on its unpleasantness. However, this vital fluid is also critical to oral and general health. Saliva actively helps you stay healthy by keeping your body running smoothly. It keeps your mouth moist, which makes it easy to chew, swallow, and communicate. It acts as a natural cleanser, removing unwanted particles and keeping the mouth healthy.

What is saliva, and what benefits does it offer? These are some of the more common questions many people have. The answers to these questions will help us better understand the value of saliva and take the necessary measures to foster its production. Below, we break down what saliva is and its main benefits to shed some light on the actual value of saliva in our daily lives.

What is Saliva?

Saliva is a clear, watery fluid produced by the salivary glands in your mouth. Saliva is mostly water but contains enzymes, electrolytes, mucus, minerals, proteins, and antimicrobial compounds. These components make saliva perform critical functions, including digestion, protecting oral tissues, and enhancing taste.

The three major salivary glands secrete saliva, namely:

• The parotid glands, located close to the outside of the ear.
• The submandibular glands, found under the jaw.
• The sublingual glands, found under the tongue, support digestion and oral health.

Why is Saliva Important?

Saliva may be unappealing, specifically when drooling, but it is important to your overall health. It serves vital functions that benefit your mouth and body. Some of the common ones include the following:

Saliva Removes Mouth Waste

Saliva is essential for oral health because it helps remove waste from your mouth after you eat. It washes away food particles so debris does not build up, which can cause oral health problems. When saliva circulates in your mouth, it also flushes harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, and viruses, which are the usual culprits behind dental infections and other oral troubles.

Saliva's antimicrobial properties are necessary to control the growth of pathogens and reduce the chance of dental disease, including tooth decay and gum disease. It neutralizes the acid that can form after eating, which can erode tooth enamel and cause cavities. Saliva clears food particles and neutralizes harmful substances, keeping your mouth cleaner and healthier.

Saliva also keeps a healthy balance in your mouth by helping the tissues heal and fighting infections. Good oral hygiene involves its capability to eliminate waste and harmful bacteria. Saliva is also essential to oral well-being by helping maintain your mouth's natural pH balance.

Saliva Protects Teeth and Gum

Saliva is essential for protecting teeth and gums and maintaining oral health. One of its most important functions is helping make a healthy plaque biofilm, a complex bacteria structure covering teeth. While plaque is often considered an enemy of tooth decay, a healthy plaque biofilm is critical for maintaining oral hygiene and providing protective benefits.

Saliva creates a natural defense against harmful bacteria with the help of the healthy plaque biofilm. Saliva helps to grow beneficial bacteria, which outcompete harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease. This protective biofilm prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and keeps your teeth and gums healthier.

Saliva also neutralizes acids made by harmful bacteria. These acids erode the enamel, causing tooth decay and cavities. Saliva helps to buffer these acids, maintain the integrity of your enamel, and prevent damage. The minerals in saliva, like calcium and phosphate, are crucial in remineralizing enamel and repairing the early stages of decay before they become more serious.

Saliva helps flush bacteria out of your mouth so your teeth and gums stay clean and free of plaque and harmful bacteria. This prevents bacteria buildup and thus prevents the onset of cavities and gum disease. Saliva’s constant flow helps keep the mouth clean and clear of harmful bacteria that cause oral disease.

Saliva also protects your gums. It promotes a balance in your oral ecosystem, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair. It combats the bacteria that can cause the buildup of bacteria that causes gum disease, like gingivitis and periodontitis. Not only does saliva keep your mouth moist, but it also helps reduce discomfort and the risk of dry mouth, which can lead to oral infections and tooth decay.

Saliva also helps with oral homeostasis, keeping the natural pH balance of the mouth stable and preventing the growth of acid-loving bacteria, which thrive in acidic environments. This is important to the health of your teeth and gums, as an imbalanced pH can cause tooth erosion and gum infections.

Saliva helps heal minor mouth injuries, and its proteins help tissue repair, so sores and cuts heal faster. Thus, saliva keeps the mouth in prime condition, reducing the risk of infection and complications.

Saliva Helps in DIgestion

Saliva works to break down food, especially starches, into simpler sugars as you chew. The enzyme amylase that saliva produces initiates digestion. Saliva simplifies complex carbohydrates so your body can better absorb nutrients further down the digestive process.

Saliva also makes food softer and more manageably moist by acting beyond enzymatic action. This lubrication is essential for normal swallowing because food passes effortlessly through the esophagus and can thus be carried down into the stomach quickly. Without enough moisture while swallowing, digestion can be upset as the flow is disrupted. Saliva helps this transition seamlessly so the stomach and intestines break down food.

In addition to aiding mechanical digestion, saliva protects oral health and helps digest food efficiently. It also keeps the pH just right for enzymatic activity. It dissolves food particles so you can taste better, helping the whole process of digesting food.

Moreover, saliva protects and maintains the gastrointestinal system. It lubricates and dissolves food, lessening irritation to the esophagus and allowing food to pass easily from your mouth to your stomach. This seamless food transport prevents choking or acid reflux and helps keep your digestive tract healthy.

Saliva Keeps Dentures Secure and Comfortable

When we place dentures in the mouth, saliva helps create a natural suction between the dentures and the gum tissue, so there is a hold to them. This suction holds dentures in position without shifting around during activities like talking, eating, or smiling. If there is no secure hold, dentures can be uncomfortable and unreliable and cause discomfort or embarrassment.

Saliva creates suction and lubrication, reducing friction between the dentures and the gums. This lubrication also helps the dentures feel comfortable, avoiding irritation that can come with every contact with gum tissues. Moreover, saliva fills any small gaps between the dentures and the gums, ensuring a better fit and much more stable dentures.

Saliva also cushions by absorbing some pressure dentures on the gums. This cushioning effect helps remove much of the discomfort from the dentures when worn for long periods. Saliva also helps prevent sore spots by minimizing friction and pressure points on the gum tissue.

Furthermore, saliva plays a role in maintaining oral hygiene with dentures. It helps flush food particles and bacteria from the surface of the denture, decreasing the risk of infection and mouth discomfort. Saliva neutralizes acids in the mouth, making the mouth a healthier place for gums and dentures. It helps keep the mouth moist and clean, making dentures more comfortable and effective.

Saliva is Used as a Diagnostic Tool

Saliva is a valuable diagnostic tool providing information on many aspects of health. Its ability to give quick, non-invasive results has made it more popular in medical testing. Some of the common diagnostic purposes include:

• Detection of diseases and infections — Saliva can be tested for bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. This makes early detection of infections, including periodontal disease, flu, and HIV possible.
• Hormonal imbalances — Saliva testing is effective for measuring hormone levels, like cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. These tests are used to determine whether someone is stressed, has a thyroid problem, or has reproductive health issues.
• Genetic testing — Genetic testing often uses saliva to determine whether a person has inherited conditions or is at risk for certain diseases. It is also used for paternity testing and is a simple and accurate way to get results.
• Drug testing — Saliva is widely used for drug and alcohol testing because it is easy to collect and gives quick results. These tests are used in medical monitoring and the workplace to ensure employees follow a treatment plan or policy.
• Oral health screening — Dentists use saliva to monitor oral health. Elevated levels of specific proteins or enzymes indicate conditions like gum disease, cavities, or even oral cancer in time for early intervention.

Saliva Imbalance and The Treatment Options Available

There are people with reduced saliva, hyposalivation, and those with excess saliva, hypersalivation. Different factors cause both conditions and can harm oral and overall health.

1. Reduced Salivation or Hyposalivation

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, occurs when the salivary glands fail to make enough saliva. This condition is referred to as hyposalivation. Common causes include:

• Dehydration — Lack of adequate fluid intake can reduce saliva production.
• Medications — Antihistamines, antidepressants, and diuretics can reduce the amount of saliva produced.
• Aging — Your salivary glands produce less saliva as you age.
• Health conditions—Diseases including diabetes, Sjögren’s syndrome, or Parkinson’s disease can impair salivation.
• Radiation therapy — Saliva production can be reduced by radiation treatment of cancers in the head or neck.

Disrupted hyposalivation can be uncomfortable, interfere with your daily life, and can increase your risk for oral health complications. Addressing this condition involves pinpointing the cause and implementing practical solutions that reduce the condition's impact. Dentists recommend targeted treatments to increase salivary production and help keep your mouth moist and oral health safe. Here are some commonly recommended approaches:

• Hydration — Regular water consumption helps keep saliva production at the ideal levels. Dentists often advise people to sip water throughout the day to prevent dryness.
• Saliva substitutes—Oral gels, sprays, or tablets that act like natural saliva help reduce discomfort and provide moisture relief. These are among the options dentists suggest for moisture relief.
• Medications — Your dentist could prescribe parasympathomimetic medications, like pilocarpine or cevimeline, to stimulate saliva production, especially for conditions like Sjögren’s syndrome.
• Sugar-free gum or lozenges — Chewing gum or using lozenges can trigger saliva flow. Dentists usually recommend these options repeatedly to help manage dry mouth.
• Regular dental visits — Regular visits to your dentist keep your mouth in good shape. Reduced salivation can lead to cavities and gum disease, which dentists can prevent by performing cleanings.
• Fluoride treatments — Fluoride varnishes or rinses can prevent tooth decay because they help keep your mouth moist. These treatments strengthen enamel and minimize the chance of cavities.
• Avoiding irritants — Dentists advise against alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco because they can worsen dry mouth or reduce saliva production.

2. Excess Saliva Production or Hypersalivation

When your salivary glands produce more saliva than your mouth can handle, you experience hypersalivation, drooling, or the uncomfortable feeling of extreme moisture. While this condition is not a disorder, it often results from a reaction to certain triggers or indicates an underlying problem. It can interfere with daily life, making it harder to speak or eat and sometimes socially painful.

Some of the common causes of hypersalivation include the following:

• Neurological conditions — When normal swallowing reflexes are disrupted due to disorders like Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, or ALS, saliva builds up in your mouth.
• Medications — Some medications like antipsychotics or ones for Alzheimer’s can cause the salivary glands to become stimulated and produce more saliva.
• Infections and oral Irritation — Heightened saliva production may be a protective response to oral infections, teething in children, or irritation from poorly fitted dental appliances.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — Hypersalivation is often caused by acid reflux, as your body attempts to neutralize stomach acid.
• Pregnancy — Saliva levels can be elevated during hormonal changes during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester.
• Allergic reactions and toxins — The body responds by salivating more if exposed to allergens or harmful substances.

Treatment of hypersalivation is complex and requires treating symptoms and underlying causes. Treatment can significantly reduce discomfort and help you go about your daily routine. The severity and origin of the condition dictate what action should be taken, ranging from reasonably fundamental lifestyle changes to fairly advanced medical interventions.

• Lifestyle modifications — Excessive salivation can be controlled with specific habits. Upright posture helps reduce saliva drooling for those with neurological conditions. Furthermore, you can help limit the stimulation of the salivary glands by adjusting your diet and avoiding acidic or spicy foods. Thankfully, excessive saliva does not generally lead to bad breath or gum irritation. However, some oral hygiene can go a long way in treating these complications.
• Medical treatments — Your dentist could prescribe anticholinergics. These medicines block nerve stimuli that reduce salivary glands and, as a result, minimize salivary production. A second option is temporarily paralyzing the salivary glands with Botox injections, relieving the pain for those with chronic symptoms. When noninvasive methods cannot provide sufficient control, these interventions are beneficial.
• Therapeutic techniques — Speech and swallowing therapy teach practical strategies for managing saliva better. They improve the swallowing reflex and reduce drooling. These techniques are complemented by behavioral therapy, which addresses habits that aggravate hypersalivation.
• Advanced interventions — Severe hypersalivation is treated with temporary or permanent surgical procedures. Options include removing or ligature of salivary glands to reduce their activity significantly. In other words, these approaches are generally considered when other treatments do not work.
• Addressing root causes — Hypersalivation is often resolved by resolving the underlying cause. Restoring balance can be done by treating oral infections, adjusting medications with salivary side effects, or treating GERD. We can find many rapid relief options using absorbent products like pads or bibs.

In some instances, however, hypersalivation may require surgical intervention, most notably when other treatment options fail to provide relief. The excessive production of saliva, or sialorrhea, can make daily life uncomfortable and physically and socially challenging, as well as increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia.

Hypersalivation is treated through a series of surgical procedures intended to correct the condition by changing the function or flow of the salivary glands.

One common approach uses salivary duct ligation or re-routing, where doctors tie off or re-route the salivary ducts because the gland is leaking secretions. However, this redirection usually eases saliva towards the throat, helps to swallow, and reduces pooling in the mouth.

In more severe cases, glandular excision may be required. This procedure involves removing specific salivary glands, like the submandibular glands, to decrease saliva production.

Alternatively, dentists could opt for nerve or gland ablation. This procedure targets the nerves responsible for stimulating excessive secretion, effectively decreasing saliva output at its source.

Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me

Saliva is important and has many benefits that help you digest and protect your teeth and gums. It is an integral part of maintaining oral health. However, dry mouth or too much saliva can disrupt this balance, causing problems with your overall health. If you encounter these challenges, you should get help from a professional.

If you have concerns about your saliva and oral health, we at The Whittier Dentist can help. Our team of experts is experienced in personalized dental care, including the prevention and treatment of conditions like mouth dryness or hypersalivation. We know how these problems affect your comfort and quality of life and have solutions. Call us at 562-632-1223 to schedule an appointment and get the expert care you need.