News to Make a Mouth Water…
A thick, juicy prime rib of beef surrounded by a baked potato—all the trimmings—asparagus with drawn butter, fresh apple cobbler a la mode. Got your mouth watering? Good. Your salivary glands have been stimulated. And saliva’s a whole lot more important to you than helping you enjoy that special meal.
A Few Other Things You Might Find Good to Know About Saliva…
- It has a critical role in the health of your mouth—and your body.
- It’s a natural mouth rinse, flushing out the plaque that causes decay and periodontal disease.
- It acts as a buffer against overly acid mouth.
- Lack of saliva is a serious problem—and not an uncommon one. We call it xerostomia.
More About Dry Mouth…
- It happens when we get older—but it doesn’t have to.
- It’s a serious, debilitating condition. With dry mouth, tooth decay accelerates.
- Drugs and medical therapies (including radiation for cancer) can contribute to dry mouth.
- Other anti-dry mouth responses: sugarless gum, sugarless lozenges, mouth-wetting agents.
- You can fight it by drinking eight glasses of water daily. That’s a good idea even if you don’t have dry mouth.
