Saliva is the mouth's own built-in defense system, doing its work every minute of the day.

In kid words

"Saliva is just a grown-up word for spit, and your mouth makes it all day long to help keep your teeth clean and happy." It washes bits of food away, and it even carries tiny helpers that make your teeth stronger. You do not have to do anything special to make it work, your mouth handles it on its own.

The parent version

Saliva is the fluid produced continuously by glands throughout the mouth, and mainstream dental sources credit it with several jobs at once. It rinses away food debris after eating, buffers the acid that bacteria produce back toward a neutral balance, and carries minerals such as calcium and phosphate that support the tooth surface. It also keeps the mouth comfortable enough to talk, taste and swallow with ease.

Saliva flow is not constant. It naturally slows during sleep, which is one reason the mouth can feel different first thing in the morning, and it can vary for other reasons too. A mouth that feels persistently dry is worth mentioning at a checkup rather than puzzling over at home, so ask your pediatric dentist about it.

Where you might hear it at our office

Saliva comes up naturally in conversation at a cleaning and exam, especially the coaching part near the end, where snacks, drinks and brushing timing all get discussed since they affect how well saliva can do its job between visits. A dry mouth noticed at a visit is something your pediatric dentist will ask about directly.

There is a whole dictionary of these behind that one link, in case another word from a visit is still nagging at you: the Kids' Dental Dictionary.

Related words

Words that often come up alongside saliva: fluoride, remineralization, enamel.