DECEMBER 17 — Did you ever think that saliva is an irreplaceable element for human health? Most certainly, it is an invaluable element for a healthy mouth and a healthy body. However, its worth often goes unnoticed, or taken for granted.

Saliva is a watery clear fluid secreted by the salivary glands in and around your mouth. Although saliva is mostly made of water, it contains vital elements such as enzymes, minerals and protective antibodies which are essential for your body’s health maintenance and daily functioning.

Saliva serves a number of key functions in the body. Firstly, saliva eases chewing and mixing food in the mouth, and starts breaking food to make swallowing more comfortable. More importantly, digestion of food starts from the mouth itself, due to the action of enzymes in saliva. Some salivary enzymes are capable of diluting noxious material mistakenly taken into the mouth. Saliva also contains elements called immunoglobulins, which are commonly referred to as antibodies. These antibodies play a pivotal role in protecting your oral cavity from harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. Thus, saliva receives its due credit as the first line of defence in protecting the oral cavity as well as the upper respiratory tract which has connection to the oral cavity.

Saliva is a watery clear fluid secreted by the salivary glands in and around your mouth. Although saliva is mostly made of water, it contains vital elements such as enzymes, minerals and protective antibodies which are essential for your body’s health maintenance and daily functioning. — AFP pic
Saliva is a watery clear fluid secreted by the salivary glands in and around your mouth. Although saliva is mostly made of water, it contains vital elements such as enzymes, minerals and protective antibodies which are essential for your body’s health maintenance and daily functioning. — AFP pic

Saliva also contains other vital proteins and minerals which protect your tooth enamel, helping to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Unfortunately, there are some diseases and other environmental conditions where your body does not produce enough saliva, leading to a dry mouth or a condition called ‘xerostomia’. In the absence of saliva, you may visualise, how oral bacteria can thrive, leading to bad breath and making you prone for oral infections. Additionally, lack of saliva and lack of lubricating effect will make you feel that your mouth is coarse with gritty-sensation. This oral dryness can further give you discomfort and make your oral cavity be more and more susceptible for ulceration. Denture wearers may experience difficulties in controlling the denture in speech and swallowing the food.

If you ever experience lack of saliva or oral dryness, you should consult a doctor or a dentist for early investigation and action. Since lack of saliva is commonly due to dehydration, you should make sure that you consume adequate amount of water on daily basis. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the recommended daily fluid intake is 3.1 litres for a man and 2.1 litres for a woman.

However, lack of saliva and dry mouth can also be a result of some disease conditions. These are related to salivary gland diseases, including blockages in salivary ducts. For such medical problems, it is essential that you consult a doctor or a dentist for timely interventions. Dry mouth may be caused by physiological aging, taking medication with anticholinergic or sympathomimetic effects, cancer therapy (radiotherapy and chemotherapy), salivary gland diseases, chronic medical conditions leading to dehydration, such as diabetes and kidney diseases, or psychogenic causes. Drinking plenty of water and chewing sugar-free gum may help you keep your mouth moist and comfortable.

It is advisable for patient with dry mouth to take soft and moist diet to facilitate food swallowing. Alcohol intake and smoking are to be avoided as these will lead to worsening of the condition. Salivary substitutes or mouth wetting agents may help to relieve the dryness to certain extend. However, specific dry mouth intervention depends on the underlying cause. You should seek treatment from healthcare provider if you develop dry mouth.

The finest health message here is that, “stay hydrated, and keep your mouth clean all the time”. Thereby, you can prevent most oral health problems as well as general health issues.

* Prof Aruni is from Department of Restorative Dentistry, and Dr Goh is from Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.