Acidic Saliva and How Saliva pH Effects Oral health

The saliva pH in your mouth determines if you’re mouth is healthy or unhealthy. Low pH (acidic saliva), supports bacteria growth, increases your chance of cavities, tooth decay and gum disease.

Most healthy people have a “normal” saliva pH of around 7.  When acidic foods, beverages, even tap water and even dental products can tip the pH creating an imbalance that supports enamel demineralization.  Acidic saliva that is around 5.5 pH is very problematic.

Saliva pH gets effected quite easily by diet, medications, tobacco use and other lifestyle factors.  It’s probably safe to say, that the average pH of saliva for today’s human is definitely not 7.4.

And since the medications are the NEW standard of living, even medications for mental health, can create dry mouth and acidic saliva pH…which is all the more reason to try to adopt a natural-first approach (where possible and IF possible)!

Here’s Colgate®’s tips on reducing acidic saliva pH:

• Avoid or limit soft drinks and other acidic beverages.
• Avoid swishing acidic beverages around your mouth.
• Rinse your mouth with water after you eat or drink.
• Chew sugarless gum to increase your saliva flow and wash away acids.
• Drink milk or eat foods that contain calcium, like cheese, which neutralize acids.

Frau Fowler’s tips on reducing acidic saliva pH:

• Avoid acidic beverages. 

Don’t limit acidic beverages BECAUSE you probably need them to balance out your internal pH (which s a part of being healthy).  Being overly alkaline is not healthy. There is reason you crave that vinegary kombucha, or beer, wine, bubbly water, etc.  Limit soft drinks (or just do yourself a favor and don’t drink soft drinks).  But if you find yourself needing an acidic pick me up go for it and EAT A SUR’SE! 

• Avoid swishing.

Listen up all you sommeliers.  Errr..there goes the joy of drinking anything that taste good.

• Rinse your mouth with water after you eat.

…all depends on the pH of the water.  It will help loosen food particles, but sometimes tap water is going to be more acidic than what you eat.  They fail to mention acidic tap water (because toothpaste requires you to RINSE, or they may be unaware of it).  The test strip in our above example is from Colorado Springs and is below EPA standards (which is normal these days).  You can also use our tooth powder (that is NO RINSE)!

• Chew sugarless gum to increase your saliva flow and wash away acids.  

We’re not in disagreement with this, but we are not in agreement with fake sugar being compatible with the humans. It depends on what type is being consumed and researched is still very mixed (probably due to special interest studies – which skew results).  Most fake sugar in commercial chewing gum is usually accompanied by other artificial ingredients and dyes (which CAN BE neurotoxic).  Just eat a SUR’SE, which will do more for your oral health.

• Drink milk or eat foods that contain calcium, like cheese, which neutralize acids. 

 There are other ways to neutralize acids (like adding a little baking soda to your water) and eating a SUR’SE…and probably some better foods like apples that are alkaline and don’t promote histamine reactions.  Ending a meal on something thoughtful is always a good idea, whatever that may be.

Healthy saliva pH is how our bodies remineralize our teeth naturally- by bathing our teeth in our own saliva.  It gets complicated as healthy saliva pH typically has higher amounts of calcium and phosphates.

While, we add these to your oral care products, if oral health is poor, one needs a mineral assessment and supplementation.