Fun Facts About Spit

Most of us don’t pay much attention to the slimy liquid that covers the insides of our mouths. It is just there. Why would we need to think about it? However, saliva is an essential fluid that deserves more attention.

Not only is saliva responsible for killing bacteria and protecting our teeth against decay, but it also enables us to swallow and speak. Following are some fun facts about saliva that you’re probably unaware of.

• Saliva Enables Your Taste Buds: Most people believe that the tongue is solely responsible for allowing us to taste. While the tongue plays an important role, it’s the saliva that increases our sensitivity to taste. Think about it this way: If your mouth was completely dry, you could chew on a Carolina Reaper pepper, and it would just be a bland taste in your mouth. Saliva interacts with food to improve its flavor.
• Your Saliva Production is Higher Than You Anticipate: The amount of saliva produced may vary from person to person, but you are likely producing about a liter of saliva any given day. The average healthy person produces anywhere between 0.7 to 2 liters of saliva per day; this is enough to fill two bathtubs in a year.
• Saliva Speeds Up Wound-Healing: If you have a wound inside your mouth, it will heal faster than the wound on other parts of your body. This is because your saliva contains a protein known as histatin. This is an antibacterial agent that enables wounds to heal faster.

Saliva is also extremely crucial to your overall health. To ensure the saliva produced remains healthy, it is essential to enforce healthy oral habits early on. Make sure to take your kids for regular dental visits. If you live in Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Forest Valley, or Friendly Acres, visit Piedmont Pediatric Dentistry for an appointment today.