Keeping cool to prevent the effects of dry mouth

Vincent Rahming
Sports & Health Editor
There are a few key things we must do to sustain our health in the summer heat. From applying sunscreen to keeping cool outside, there is one part of our bodies that lets us know when we need to replenish: our mouths.
Saliva is very important to us and impacts the mouth’s health greatly. But why do we need it?
The three paramount functions of saliva are: the digestion of food; the maintenance of tooth structure; and the fighting off of mouth infections.
Saliva has enzymes (very small proteins that help with chemical reactions in the body) which aid in the digestion of food before it gets to the stomach, for further digestion. When the food is chewed and mixed with saliva, digestion starts.
The second function of saliva is to keep the teeth strong. Teeth are made of increasingly soft layers towards the root. If the hardest layer, the enamel, does not receive enough nutrition, the teeth become weak and break apart easily. The minerals and nutrients in saliva are readily available to pass easily into the teeth and ensure that the surfaces of the teeth are strong and hard.

It is possible to have seasonal dry mouth and in such a case, it is usually associated with hay fever. A dry mouth can also be experienced by persons experiencing a fever and/or influenza. There are more serious and sinister reasons for a dry mouth, and they include the shrinkage of the salivary glands and the damage to blood vessels of the salivary glands.
All salivary glands are in the head and neck region. The major salivary glands are in the front of the ears, under the angles of the lower jawbone, and under the tongue. Apart from these major salivary glands, there are a number of minor salivary glands throughout the mouth cavity.
There usually needs to be a 50 per cent reduction in the production of saliva for an individual to notice mouth dryness. In many cases of dry mouth, however, this 50 per cent reduction in saliva production does not occur; instead, there is a change in the consistency (a thickening) of the saliva thereby causing mouth dryness. This reduction in the volume of saliva, in combination with the thickening of saliva, lends to a very subjective interpretation of the dry mouth phenomenon.
Summer may be here, but always note that when outdoors for long periods of time, it is important to keep yourself hydrated. Travel with a bottle of water, or even better, drink as much as you can throughout the day. Summer is just getting started and it’s always great to be prepared.