Source: www.readingeagle.com
Author: John Reitz, DDS

The Dentist’s Chair

Jim: With the newly discovered connection between oral health and overall health, is there anything a dentist can tell about my overall health from looking in my mouth?

Dr. Reitz: Dear Jim, a dentist can tell if you have gum disease and tooth decay by looking in your mouth, but to determine your overall health he may need a sample of your saliva. Instead of having just a blood test by your physician, your dentist will soon have the ability to diagnosis systemic disease by doing a saliva test.

In dental school I was taught that saliva’s function was to neutralize acids and help swallow food. We are now finding that saliva is more complex than originally thought, containing over 1,000 different proteins. The question now is why are the proteins there.

Recent advances in technology have found saliva contains indicators, either genes or salivary proteins called biomarkers, of systemic disease. Of the 1,000 salivary proteins already identified, only specific proteins are found in patients with systemic disease.

Research at the University of California, Los Angeles is expected to get Food and Drug Administration approval within two years for a saliva test that can detect pancreatic cancer. Other studies have found biomarkers for breast cancer, oral cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and autoimmune disorders.

In addition to finding systemic diseases, saliva tests will determine a person’s chances of getting tooth decay. Some promising studies have identified biomarkers for a predisposition to dental decay apart from diet and home care. If such a test becomes available, dental treatment can be focused on people most at risk.

The study of saliva biomarkers is finding that the bacteria that make up plaque are unique to each person and may be genetically related. This may be another reason to blame gum disease and tooth decay on your parents.

The connection between diabetes, cardiovascular disease and gum disease is well accepted, but the discovery of using saliva to diagnose systemic disease has tremendous potential.

It is too early to determine if dentists will be the collectors and testers of saliva, but no other health care worker spends more time working around and managing spit than a dentist.

Note:
The Dentist’s Chair appears Saturdays. The column is written by John Reitz, DDS, and does not represent the opinion of the Pennsylvania State Dental Board.