Q: What role does saliva play in your mouth?
A: Saliva is a mixture of water, mucous, protein, and enzymes. It is the lubricant for your mouth and as such performs a variety of roles. One of its main roles is to aid our nutrition. It moistens and begins to break down the starch in food. It also helps bind chewed food into a ball, so you can swallow it.
Saliva also plays a role in our sense of taste. Taste buds do not respond to dry food. Three major pairs of salivary glands and numerous smaller glands in your cheeks and lips generate saliva. The glands generally secrete a small but steady amount of saliva constantly. The presence of food will trigger a heavier flow. Sometimes, particularly when you’re hungry, just thinking about food can trigger a heavier flow, hence the term “mouth-watering” in relation to a particularly good meal. Saliva also washes away particles of food that may be left in the mouth after eating, thereby helping you avoid tooth decay.
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39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
Despite the variety and advancements in toothbrushes today, people don’t brush long enough to get the best results, reports the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Brushing teeth for three to four minutes is necessary for a thorough cleaning, but the average person brushes for less than a minute. This is not long enough to reach all areas of the mouth and scrub off cavity-causing bacteria.
