Track your oral pH number for improved health

August 18, 2010-People know their cholesterol number, but there is another important number that affects your health –the number that tells the acidity of your mouth.  There are billions of bacteria in your mouth. Each time you eat or drink anything with sugar, you are feeding the bacteria – and they double in number every 20 minutes. As the bacteria eat, they give off acids which increase the acidity of your mouth.  Acids dissolve the calcium in your teeth and are the basis of decay.  Scientists talk about acidity in terms of numbers called pH. A neutral pH number is 7.0 which is the number associated with drinking water and the acidity of your blood. After eating the pH number in saliva can drop down to 5.0 which means there is 100 times more acid in the mouth than if the number is 7.  If a person’s mouth is typically acidic, that person is prone to tooth decay, has increased levels of bacteria in their mouth, making them prone to gum disease (gingivitis) and loss of teeth.  Thus, it is important for a person to have their pH checked when they see their dentist.

When a person has increased bacteria in the mouth and problems with their gums – which occurs with about 50% of the patients dentists see – they run the risk of other medical problems such as heart attack and stroke. Bacteria and their toxins make their way into the blood stream from the mouth and become a source of inflammation in the blood vessels. It is the inflammation that starts the cascade of steps that lead to the cholesterol based plaques in the artery that, in turn, leads to heart attacks.

In addition, more people have reduced saliva levels today because of prescription drugs. Most prescription drugs have dry mouth as a side effect (drugs for hypertension, allergies, depression, etc. – up to 3,000 drugs). This is an especially bad problem for the elderly who are typically on a number of prescription drugs.  Lack of saliva means less bacteria is washed away, resulting in a pH number that is low and remains low throughout the day. Anyone on prescription drugs need to know their pH number since they will have decay and gum problems as well as being more at risk for heart attacks.