Is the pH Balance in Your Mouth Important to Your Oral Health?

The pH balance in your mouth affects your oral health directly. The pH level in your mouth needs to be neutral for normal operations. For instance, whenever the pH level drops down towards 2.0, the conditions in your mouth are highly acidic and could result in serious consequences.

The Importance of pH Balance in Your Mouth

To keep a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your mouth, maintaining a healthy pH balance is crucial. Also known as probiotics, the good bacteria in your mouth are harmless and help in the digestion of food. These bacteria also help protect your teeth and gums. While pH balance helps manage the bacteria in your mouth, any imbalance will result in problems. Eating sugary foods or beverages can dramatically change the pH balance in your mouth. Highly acidic foods like citrus can lower the pH level down while foods like melon can increase the pH level to alkalinity.

While saliva can help neutralize the acids, acidic foods can also increase the acidity levels in saliva. This is dangerous because it gives bad bacteria an opportunity to attack your gums and teeth. This could lead to dental cavities or the potential need for a root canal procedure. Therefore, regulating the pH level in your mouth helps get rid of bacteria in your mouth. This goes a long way in reducing the chances of tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. It is important to note that harmful bacteria feed off sugars found in table sugar or sucrose.

There are several ways you can keep the pH level in your mouth neutral. You can do so by drinking plenty of water that stimulates the production of saliva. You should also avoid eating acidic foods that could lower the pH level in your mouth. Schedule a consultative appointment with us for more information on the importance of pH balance.

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