Salivary Diagnostics
The appearance of the saliva has always been a tool that dentists have used to help with their diagnosis. Too much, or thick saliva can indicate the presence of irritants, such as metals or toothpastes. The lack of saliva can indicate disease or drugs, and its consistency gives a clue to dietary concerns.
I just have to tell you about a young man whose family had been coming to us since he was a child. The summer after his first year in college, he came in for a check-up and as I was working, I jokingly chided, “Well, I see you discovered alcohol.” His eyes got wide and he gave a half-hearted little laugh, but I never saw him again even though the rest if his family continued to come in.
Research continues to uncover more definitive information about saliva however, and noninvasive tests are becoming available for the detection of such diseases as HIV and cancer. Dr. Daniel Malamud, PHD at the New York University College of Dentistry, specializes in the development of anti-HIV agents and oral-based diagnostics. Dr. David Wong, the director of the UCLA Dental Research Institute, is known for his research in using saliva tests for the early detection if oral cancer. Other kinds if cancer can also be detected by saliva tests. Dr. Charles Streckfus at the University of Texas Houston Dental Branch is working on a saliva test that could indicate whether a person will develop breast cancer, and Dr. Joseph Califano, MD, is developing a test to detect the presence of certain cancers of the head and neck based on compounds found in the saliva.
I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg in salivary diagnostics, because the American Dental Association has made this its 2008 mega issue, considering it among the most significant developments in disease screening and diagnosis in decades. For more information on the tests, call my office at 346-3371.
Dr. Moulton’s article was published in the Desert Valley Times, July 2008
This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm and is filed under Dentistry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.