Saliva: How and why it will affect your overal health in the future?

Saliva: How and why it will affect your overal health in the future

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A recent study completed at the UCLA Medical Center identified several biomarkers in a person's saliva that were unique to pancreatic cancer. The researchers were extremely excited with their findings because these unique biomarkers were found in patients with early stages of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the US and spreads rapidly.

Now, you are probably wondering how pancreatic cancer is related to the field of dentistry. A tremendous amount of research has been occurring in the field of salivary diagnostics and this is the first major breakthrough with many more to come. Other current saliva tests on the market include screening for HIV, recreational drug testing, and oral cancer detection. These discoveries are particularly significant because the process of saliva collection is minimally invasive. Patients would just need to spit into a test tube, instead of having blood drawn.

Our role in the dental profession is not only to improve your oral health but also to maintain your overall health. Most people see a dentist 2-3 times per year. If healthy, most people see a medical doctor annually. The key to curing any disease or sickness is to prevent it or catch it early. If dentists can screen for systemic diseases by taking saliva samples 2-3 times per year and running tests on it, we will be able to catch and treat diseases earlier; therefore, having better health outcomes for patients.

Using saliva as a substitute for blood is several years away, but these discoveries mean that the field of dentistry is slowly merging with the medical profession; dentists may serve the same role primary care physicians in the coming years. At our office, we have already made changes and are headed in this direction.

In recent years, you have probably noticed differences in your visits to our office. We are no longer interested in just your mouth, gums and teeth. We ask about any changes in your health and wellness and record your blood pressure. It is extremely important that we know about any changes in medication as well. So please bring an up-to-date list of your medications to each visit as well. Many medications have side affects that affect your mouth and teeth. These include but are not limited to medications for the following diseases: osteoporosis, hypertension, depression, anxiety, diabetes, and blood thinners. In addition, we are also screening patients for acid reflux (GERD), sleep apnea and several other systemic diseases.

Early detection is the best way to fight any disease whether it is a systemic disease or something simple like tooth decay. With the help of technology, the medical and dental fields are always uncovering new tools that allow us to diagnose diseases earlier.

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