Posted

No one likes a droughts – especially one inside your mouth. Saliva is an essential part of dental health. Salivary glands aren’t typically a body part on your radar, but they are essential for optimal oral function. When you don’t have healthy salivary production, every time you swallow you feel uncomfortable. Water can help, but if there are other underlying health conditions, you may need to seek the counsel of the Corona dentists at Dental Associates of Corona.

Salivary Glands: The Basics

Healthy salivary glands produce about a quart of saliva every day. Saliva is responsible for several important functions in your mouth. The lubrication provided by saliva obviously makes it easier and much more pleasant for you to swallow. As saliva rinses your mouth of debris and germs, it helps fight bad breath and protects your teeth from tooth decay. Your actual salivary system consists of parotid glands on the sides of your face, sublingual glands under your tongue, and submandibular glands which are located at the floor of the mouth. There are hundreds of minor salivary glands in your mouth and throat to support the major ones.

Dry Mouth

When you have chronically low salivary production, the condition is called dry mouth. There are medications and other medical conditions which can cause dry mouth, or there may be a salivary gland dysfunction. Bacteria have an easier time multiplying and latching on the surfaces in your mouth when the environment is dry. This means bad breath and higher rates of tooth decay and gum disease when you have dry mouth. While you sleep, a dry mouth is more likely because salivary production is at its lowest. This is why even the healthiest among us generally has at least a little morning breath when we first awake. If your dry mouth is persistent and doesn’t resolve with increased water intake, you should seek medical attention.

Visit your Corona Dentists

Are you due for a visit with your Corona dentists? Six-month checkups allow us to clean and polish your teeth but also to monitor your oral health for developing problems such as dry mouth. To schedule a consultation, contact our Corona dental office by calling (951)273-9580.