Hello, my name is Dr. Greg Ritchie and I want to welcome you to my Marble Falls dental blog. My dental practice, Ritchie Dental Group, wants to help our Burnet, Kingsland, and Meadowlakes patients to be knowledgeable about oral health issues.
Today we are going to discuss the complexity and importance of your saliva. This typically yucky substance is, in reality, a finely balance body fluid that not only maintains dental health but also aids in digestion of your food. So, without further adieu, here are the main components of saliva.
1. Water. No surprise here! You saliva consists mostly of water.
2. Enzymes. Enzymes are critical biological catalysts that speed chemical reactions. The enzymes in saliva begin the process of digestion.
3. Immunoproteins. These are strong cells that fight cellular invaders, such as bacteria. Those in saliva inhibit the overgrowth of microbes in the mouth. This is essential to avoiding gingivitis and keeping a healthy pH balance in the mouth.
4. Minerals. Saliva minerals assist in maintaining the protective enamel surface of the teeth.
Most Horseshoe Bay dental patients produce enough saliva, but some suffer from dry mouth, which is a lack of saliva. This can be dangerous to your dental health, so be sure to meet with your Marble Falls dentist if you are experiencing this.
If you are in the Burnet, Kingsland, or Meadowlakes area and are in search of quality dental care, please call my office today at 830-693-8833. Our friendly and comprehensive staff would be happy to talk to you about our acclaimed services, which include:
sedation dentistry
general dentistry
porcelain veneers
teeth whitening
