Does saliva in moutm cause the tooth decay?

While saliva does contain bacteria that can contribute to tooth decay, it also plays a crucial role in protecting your teeth. Saliva helps to neutralize acids, remineralize teeth, and wash away food particles, plaque, and bacteria. Without saliva, our teeth would be much more susceptible to decay.

Here are some specific functions of saliva that help to protect against tooth decay:

Neutralization of acids: Saliva contains buffers that help to neutralize the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. These acids can dissolve the minerals in tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay.

Remineralization: Saliva contains minerals such as calcium and phosphate that can help to remineralize tooth enamel, which is the hard outer layer of teeth. Remineralization helps to strengthen teeth and make them more resistant to decay.

Washing away food particles, plaque, and bacteria: Saliva helps to wash away food particles, plaque, and bacteria from the mouth. This helps to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Of course, saliva is not the only factor that contributes to tooth decay. Other factors include diet, oral hygiene habits, and genetics. However, saliva plays an important role in protecting teeth against decay.