Objective: 

Mouth as interface of the body with the environment, is responsive to environmental factors that affect body homeostasis. Food qualities, content of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, influence the mouth ecosystem, saliva composition, number and variety of bacterial species that inhabit the oral environment and forming dental plaque and tartar. This is the first step toward oral pathology. The purpose was to discuss the mouth ecosystem correlated with physical effort.

Methods: 

Ten trained teenagers (13.35±0.47 years old) that performed a submaximal effort to a medicinal bicycle were investigated. Before and after physical effort, salivary flow, pH, epithelial cells were determined and salivary leukocyte phagocytosis was estimated by NBT test.

Results: 

After the physical effort salivary flow was decreased by 22%, pH by 10%, and cell viability by 3.09%. Salivary epithelial cells increased by 20%, and leukocytes by 37.08%, associated with high values of phagocytosis. Smaller amount of saliva produces dry mouth, can affect nutrition, teeth health, and activates thirst sensation and ADH secretion in order to establish the water homeostasis. Dental plaque triggers oral cavity defense mechanisms, inducing leukocyte recruitment into the gum, gingival fluid. Leukocyte enzymes trigger and maintain inflammation, endothelial injury, activate the complement system, and amplifiy gingival lesions. Salivary leukocytes were active in local defense.

Conclusions: 

Physical exercise decreased salivary flow, increased gingival epithelium desquamation, lowered salivary pH, and salivary leukocyte defense capacity. Reducing the environmental factors that impact negatively on oral and rigorous oral hygiene may be a condition in the prevention of oral cavity lesions.