Hello, my name is Dr. Marcos Ortega and I want to welcome you to my San Diego dental blog. My dental practice, Marcos Ortega DDS, wants to help our Hillcrest, Mission Hills, and Bankers Hill 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 essential biological catalysts that speed chemical reactions. The enzymes in saliva begin the process of digestion.
3. Immunoproteins. These are dynamic 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 San Diego dental patients produce enough saliva, but some suffer from dry mouth, which is a lack of saliva. This can be harmful to your dental health, so be sure to meet with your San Diego dentist if you are experiencing this.
If you are in the Hillcrest, Mission Hills, or Bankers Hill area and are in search of quality dental care, please call my office today at 619-295-4545. Our very comfortable and friendly staff would be happy to talk to you about our successful services, which include:
dental implants
sedation dentistry
dental crowns
teeth whitening
Contact Marcos Ortega DDS:
619-295-4545
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
306 Walnut Ave Ste 25
San Diego, California
92103