What Your Saliva Says About You

Saliva is truly amazing. The two pints an average person produces a day helps in the digestive process, cleans and rinses the mouth, and keeps the tongue wet so we can taste food. Now, saliva is helping the medical community identify disease risk, monitor drug use and identify when a woman is most fertile. Saliva tests are often as accurate as blood tests and spare patients the discomfort of needles. Saliva testing tends to be less expensive, more convenient, and reduces the risk of contact with blood-borne viruses. Here are five reasons saliva is becoming a popular diagnostic tool:

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a common side effect of many drugs on the market today. More than 650 drugs cause dry mouth, resulting in dental decay and/or gum and mouth diseases. To help your mouth stay clean and protect against infections, dentists can monitor the amount of saliva a patient has if they are taking medication and make recommendations to prevent dry mouth.

"It is very important for dentists to know a patient's medical history," said Dr. Jed Jacobson, vice president of Professional Services and dental director at Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. "This allows dentists to work with the patient's physician who may prescribe alternative drugs to help prevent dry mouth and reduce the risk of developing oral diseases."

Without a healthy flow of saliva, bacteria can increase ten-fold the normal level and cause cavities, painful sores and make it difficult to swallow food.

HIV/Hepatitis

Saliva is being researched as a diagnostic tool for identifying diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Scientists have discovered a strong correlation between virus-specific antibodies for HIV and hepatitis present in saliva and other oral fluids. A simple swab from the inside of the mouth can identify antibodies for these diseases. Saliva testing also reduces the risk of contact with blood.

DNA

Saliva contains the same amount of DNA found in your blood and could soon be a possible source for genetic testing. Saliva can increase the convenience of genetic testing among children because itís easier to obtain than drawing blood samples. Extracting the DNA in saliva can identify inherited genes that increase a child's risk for certain diseases. Localized juvenile periodontal disease (LJP) is an aggressive form of gum disease found in children and young adults that could be detected and minimized more efficiently using the DNA from saliva.

Ovulation

Forget messy urine tests, the discomfort of blood work or trying to count the days until ovulation. Women are turning to saliva for their effective biological time-keeping. Saliva can be used to monitor hormone levels that indicate fertility. Peaks in estrogen levels increase salts in saliva during fertility, resulting in a "leaf-like" pattern that can be identified when viewed under a microscope. Saliva testing for fertility is thought to be 98 percent as accurate as urine tests, helping more women pinpoint their prime ovulation time.

Hormone levels found in saliva decrease in women who are experiencing menopause. The results of saliva tests can help physicians develop tailor-made courses of treatment for women during this time.

Chemical Poisoning

Many people, especially children, can be harmed by exposure to high levels of lead and pesticides. But thanks to technology — and a little bit of saliva — these poisons may soon be detected in a person's body without the use of a blood test. Saliva testing will allow for efficient on-site testing and faster treatment for people who believe they have been exposed. According to Dr. David Wade, toxicologist for the Michigan Department of Community Health, an increased amount of saliva is often an indicator of exposure to a particularly dangerous category of pesticides called organophosphate insecticides, which affect the nervous system.

As you can see, saliva serves more purposes than keeping your mouth clean or helping you swallow your food. Advancements of technology are helping scientists develop non-invasive methods for testing drugs, disease and hormone levels in patients.

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