Salivation

Chewing is the most efficient way to increase saliva flow by causing muscles to stimulate the salivary glands compress and release saliva. By internal feedback mechanisms, the taste and consistency of food also affects the amount of saliva produced. It is difficult to exhaust the salivary glands, so chew all day the stimulated salivary flow is possible to maintain.

When salivary flow is reduced oral health is deteriorating. Patients with dry mouth (xerostomia) experience difficulty in chewing, speaking and swallowing. There are more than 400 commonly used Rx drugs that cause dry mouth. Common examples include analgesics, antihistamines, antihypertensives, antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents, diuretics and appetite suppressants. Radiation, chemotherapy, and autoimmune diseases also reduce the flow of saliva.

Read More...