Digestion in the mouth involves both mechanical and chemical processes:
- Mechanical digestion occurs through mastication, where the teeth grind and break down food into smaller pieces to facilitate swallowing and further digestion
- Chemical digestion begins with saliva secreted by the salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual). Saliva contains enzymes such as:
- Salivary amylase , which starts breaking down starches (complex carbohydrates) into simpler sugars
* **Lingual lipase** , which begins the digestion of fats
Saliva also moistens food, forming a bolus that is easier to swallow, and contains antibacterial agents to protect oral health
. The tongue helps manipulate the bolus and initiates swallowing by pushing it toward the pharynx
. In summary, the mouth initiates digestion by mechanically breaking down food and chemically starting the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats through enzymatic action in saliva
