Sometimes called spit, saliva is a clear liquid made by several glands inside your mouth. Saliva is mostly made of water but also contains proteins and minerals that keep your teeth and gums healthy and help your body digest food.1
If it’s been awhile since you had a good talk about saliva, now might be a good time to discuss this amazing body fluid.
What is saliva?
How is saliva made?
Saliva is made when you chew. The harder you chew, the more saliva you make. You can also make saliva when sucking on hard candy, cough drops and lozenges. Note: Choose sugar-free candies, cough drops and lozenges to prevent cavities and tooth decay.2
What does saliva do?
Here are some important things saliva does :3
- Keeps your mouth moist and comfortable
- Helps you chew, taste and swallow
- Prevents tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath
- Protects tooth enamel
- Keeps dentures securely in place
Researchers are also studying if saliva can give warnings of health concerns. Blood and saliva are similar in some ways, so saliva may help detect and diagnose oral diseases.4 Saliva is already used for rapid HIV testing and shows promising results in diagnosing breast cancer, oral cancers and viral hepatitis.5
What happens if I don’t make enough saliva?
Age, medicines and diseases can decrease how much saliva you make. This can lead to a condition called dry mouth.6
If your glands aren’t producing enough saliva, check out these dry mouth symptoms and remedies.
Humana can help with dry mouth
If you need professional treatment for dry mouth, Humana can help. We offer a broad range of dental plans with varying levels of coverage, many with low monthly premiums. Some of our plans also feature no waiting periods, which means you could get covered in about 5 days. To see plans and prices in your area, check out our Humana Insurance Company dental insurance page.
Source
- “Saliva and Your Mouth,” WebMD, last accessed December 28, 2020, , opens new window.
- “Saliva and Your Mouth.”
- “Saliva and Your Mouth.”
- “Saliva,” American Dental Association, last accessed December 28, 2020, , opens new window.
- “Saliva.”
- “Saliva and Your Mouth.”
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- How to care for your newborn's gums
- Choosing dental insurance for your family
- Teething remedies
- Foods that help prevent cavities
- How to prevent cavities and tooth decay
- Cavity myths and facts
- Understanding tooth enamel
- Let’s talk about saliva
- Baby's first toothbrush
- Child's first dentist visit
- Kids dental health
- Pregnancy and dental work
- Benefits of dental sealants
- Night time mouth guard
- Preventive dental care
- Dental ER visits
- Dental phobias
- Dental habits for young adults
- 6 dental myths debunked
- Clean teeth without a toothbrush
- Dental FAQs
- Denture tips
- Baby's first cavity
- When should kids start flossing?
- Benefits of using dental floss
- Tips for choosing the right dentist
- Dental braces: facts and benefits
- How to reduce dental plaque
- Understanding whitening strips
- Dental Insurance for the self employed
- Causes and remedies for toothaches
- Tooth pain can cause headaches
- Foods that are good for your teeth
- Preventing tooth loss
- How long should I brush my teeth?
- Baby's first tooth
- How to care for your newborn's gums
- Choosing dental insurance for your family
- Teething remedies
- Foods that help prevent cavities
- How to prevent cavities and tooth decay
- Cavity myths and facts
- Understanding tooth enamel
- Let’s talk about saliva
- Baby's first toothbrush
- Child's first dentist visit
- Kids dental health
- Pregnancy and dental work
- Benefits of dental sealants
- Night time mouth guard
- Preventive dental care
- Dental ER visits
- Dental phobias