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Your Mouth
Teeth
The first tools of digestion used to tear and chew food into pieces,
in order to expose more surface area to the saliva and to allow
the food pieces to pass through the esophagus.
Saliva
A digestive and lubricating solution composed of salt, water, mucus,
and amylase. It is produced within three pairs of salivary glands
in the head, and is secreted through salivary ducts, which open
directly into the mouth.
Functions:
- Dissolves food molecules so they can react
with chemoreceptors on the tongue, which provides us with the
sensation of taste.
- Moistens and lubricates food to aide swallowing.
- Contains the enzyme amylase, which digests
(breaks down) starchy foods.
- Saliva continues to dissolve and digest food
as it travels into and through the stomach.
Tongue
An extraordinary muscle covered with taste receptors that is used
to manipulate food in the mouth.
Function:
- Taste buds on the surface of the tongue
detect the flavor of food. Your brain induces a craving for food,
based on what your body needs or sometimes unfortunately on what
it thinks your body needs. Taste buds also warn you when food
becomes rotten.
- The tongue, as a muscle, is extremely coordinated,
supplied with a rich network of nerves. This feature allows your
tongue to manipulate food in large number of ways. The tongue
can clean your teeth. It can smash the food against the roof of
the mouth. It can place food in between the teeth for chewing.
It can force a safe amount of food and saliva to the back of your
throat for swallowing. Without a tongue, your food would not make
it passed your mouth.
Your Pharynx
A muscular section of the gut, providing a pathway from the mouth
into the esophagus. The larynx, which contains your voice box, branches
off the front of the pharynx. When swallowing a muscular, mucous
membrane-covered flap of cartilage called the epiglottis closes
the opening to the larynx to prevent food from entering your windpipe.
Food is then pushed into the esophagus using a process called peristalsis;
muscles wrapped around the digestive tube automatically squeeze
just behind the food and loosen just in front of the food causing
the food to travel through the digestive tract somewhat like toothpaste
through a tube. This contraction and relaxation causes the food
mixed with digestive juices to flow in a peristaltic wave through
the gut.
What Causes Cavities?
- Dry mouth: less saliva to wash away bacteria
- High bacteria levels due to lack of care
- Available sugar for bacteria to digest into
harmful acids Just think, the more sweets you eat, the more you're
feeding the bacteria growing in your mouth, and the more sugar
the bacteria eat the more acid they excrete that breaks down your
teeth.
- Foods that stick to your teeth, are not easily
removed especially in hard to reach spaces. Thus they may supply
a longer food supply for bacteria.
Recipe for beautiful
long lasting teeth: If you want to walk out of your house
every morning feeling like you walked out of a dentist's cleaning,
try this...
- Stop eating sweets and stop eating sticky
foods! Eat something good for you!
- Use the Sonicare sonic toothbrush twice a
day to blast plaque with sonic waves and to make sure you brush
for the dentist recommended time period (2 minutes) as signaled
by this amazing toothbrush device. Make sure you use a toothpaste
with triclosan to prevent gingivitis
and fluoride to prevent cavities, plaque,
and tarter build-up (we recommend "Colgate Total".) (Baking soda
is overrated)
- After dinner, before hitting the sac, floss
between all teeth and behind your last molars with "Glide" floss.
This floss is less likely to strip into pieces while severing
your fingers and is more durable so you only need one piece for
your whole mouth.
- Rinse your mouth with a bacteria killing
antiseptic. We use "Tarter Control Listerine" because "it kills
the bacteria that causes bad breath, plaque and gingivitis."
- If you think you're at particular risk
for cavities or are extremely terrified of a dentist's drill,
then use a fluoride rinse right before bed to strengthen your
teeth with a coat of fluoride. Do not rinse it out with water.
We recommend "Act Anticavity Fluoride Rinse."
- Finally visit your dentist for a cleaning
and checkup every 6 months.
It sounds like a long list but if you want to
keep your teeth and avoid root canals, it's only a small 5 minute
daily sacrifice and it feels terrific. So go ahead pamper yourself.
SMACK! OH @#$%&*! knocked my tooth out!
To prevent this from occurring
in the first place...
- When biking or skating always wear a helmet.
- During contact sports always wear a mouth
guard.
- When driving always use your seatbelt.
Whack! Too late for prevention! Any trauma
should be reported to your dentist. If the tooth is dislodged...
- Remain calm and collected. Getting all pissed
off will waste precious time.
- Do not scrub or clean the tooth.
- Gently rinse the tooth leaving any tissue
on the tooth.
- Place the tooth back in its place and bite
down on a clean cloth.
- If you are unable to return the tooth to
your mouth, place it in a small container of milk.
- You and your tooth must get to the dentist
within 30 minutes. If you do so, your tooth might be saved to
remain normal and healthy.
Sport Mouth Guards:
In addition to keeping your teeth intact, mouth
guards protect against...
- Concussions
- Cerebral hemorrhages
- Jaw fractures
- Neck injuries
- Laceration & bruising of the lips & cheeks
You should wear a mouth guard if you play
a contact sport such as:
- Football
- Basketball
- Softball
- Wrestling
- Lacrosse
- Rugby
- Martial arts sparring or competition
- Boxing/kick boxing
For an effective mouth guard, make sure you
get one that you can mold to your teeth, or if you're real serious
about protecting your teeth, your dentist might provide a more expensive
custom made mouth guard.
- The
hardest material in the human body is the white enamel on your teeth.
- Your mouth makes 1.2 quarts of saliva daily.
- Your mouth is the fastest healing tissue in
your body thanks to a growth factor existing in the saliva of mammals.
- Enzymes in the mouth only digest starchy foods.
- Dental plaque begins to develop only six hours
after brushing.
- The salivary glands pour 1 to 1/2 liter of water
into the digestive tract daily.
- The strongest muscle of the body is the masseter
muscle used for chewing.
Appearance: Teeth
Nutrition
Digestion
Other Digestive Organs
Glands
involved in digestion
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