Did you know your oral health is a reflection of your overall well being? In fact, 90 percent of systemic diseases have oral symptoms. Furthermore, a healthy mouth can even help fight off diseases. Here are three other fascinating facts about your mouth.
Swimming in Saliva
During your life, your mouth makes more than 25,000 quarts of saliva or enough to fill up two swimming pools. On a daily basis, your mouth makes about two to four pints of saliva. Saliva plays an important role in your oral health. Here are a few benefits of saliva:
- It helps prevent cavities: Plaque begins to form when bacteria consume carbohydrate debris on your teeth. Eventually, plaque erodes the enamel which leads to tiny holes on the surface of your teeth. Luckily, saliva helps wash away food and debris from your pearly whites. Without any particles to feed off, plaque and cavities are inhibited.
- It protects your mouth from disease: Saliva contains antibodies that fight viral pathogens. It also has enzymes that eradicate bacteria. For this reason, it can help you fight off the common cold and other diseases.
Toughing it Out
Teeth are the hardest substance in your body. In fact, your teeth are so tough, they can survive in fires and in temperatures up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Likewise, research shows your teeth are about as tough as a shark teeth. To keep your teeth as tough as possible, you'll want to follow these tips:
- Eat a diet rich in calcium: Calcium-rich foods, such as low fat milk and string cheese, help strengthen your enamel.
- Check pH levels in pools: If you're a frequent swimmer, you'll want to check the pH of your pool of choice. If the pH isn't in the 7.2 to 7.8 range, the water may become corrosive and this can lead to enamel loss.
- Use fluoride: Fluoride helps repair tooth decay. It also acts as a barrier to acids and bacteria that your teeth may come in contact with.
- Avoid using your teeth as tools: Simply because your teeth are tough, doesn't mean they are invincible. Therefore, don't use your teeth to open things, such as water bottles, or chomp on ice.
Of course, going to your dentist for regular cleanings can help keep your teeth healthy and tough too.
Scraping off Bacteria
Around 600 different types of bacteria are hanging out in your mouth. Most of that bacteria is on your tongue and it's this bacteria that is responsible for 90 percent of chronic bad breath, otherwise known as halitosis. To reduce your stinky breath you can:
- Scrape your tongue: If you don't scrape your tongue after eating, the food debris remains on it for hours. Eventually, the debris decays and causes an odor, similar to the way old food rots in the trash. To prevent your mouth from smelling like a garbage can, use a tongue scraper twice a day. Use a gentle motion and get as far back on your tongue as possible.
- Invest in an oral care probiotic system: Probiotics, or living microbes, are often used to improve your gut health. However, oral probiotics can help balance the beneficial bacteria in your mouth, which helps freshen your breath.
Your mouth is an important part of your body. If your mouth is healthy, then, often times, the rest of your body will follow.Share