Salivary tests as a diagnostic tool in oral disease management

Saliva plays an important role in maintaining the oral and the dental health, by lubricating the mucosae and protecting the teeth from caries attack. Furthermore, saliva participates in the taste sensation and recognition processes and is a central component in the first stage of the food digestion. Saliva collection, either in the pure or in the whole form, is a relatively easy procedure. Since the collection is non invasive, it is not harmful to the patient and has no complications. The paper discusses the use of saliva in the diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases and in monitoring the levels of molecules like hormones and medicines. The experience accumulated in our department in that field is also presented.