---
title: "What Is Saliva? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "Saliva, or spit, is the fluid made by your salivary glands. It washes the mouth, helps you taste and swallow, and protects teeth from decay."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/saliva
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Prevention and Hygiene

# Saliva

Saliva, or spit, is the fluid made by your salivary glands. It washes the mouth, helps you taste and swallow, and protects teeth from decay.

Saliva plays a significant role in oral health. The ADA says it acts as the bloodstream of the mouth. It washes away food and debris, moistens and breaks down food to ease swallowing, and brings disease-fighting substances through your mouth.

Saliva also helps keep the surface of your teeth strong by supplying calcium, fluoride, and phosphate ions, so it supports [remineralization](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/remineralization). When saliva flow is reduced, tooth decay and other oral infections can occur. Chewing is the most efficient way to stimulate flow. Some medicines and conditions reduce saliva, which is called [dry mouth](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dry-mouth-xerostomia).

If your mouth often feels dry, tell your dentist. See [salivary glands](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/salivary-glands) and xylitol.

## Related terms

-   [Dry mouth (xerostomia)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dry-mouth-xerostomia)
-   [Salivary glands](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/salivary-glands)
-   [Remineralization](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/remineralization)
-   [Xylitol](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/xylitol)
-   [Oral hygiene](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/oral-hygiene)

## Sources

1.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Saliva](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/saliva)
2.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Saliva](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/saliva)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)