Whither Salivary Diagnostics
by Shashidara Raju
DDS, PhD
Abstract
The use of saliva as a diagnostic fluid is not new and has been in existence since the later years of the twentieth century. Salivary Diagnostics has conversely become a rapidly evolving field in the recent years because of the rapid advances in the field of biomarkers, point of care testing devices with the main attraction of a non-invasive collection procedure.
Currently saliva is used for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and in the detection of substance abuse. However, the full spectrum of the diagnostic uses of saliva needs to be explored further and is a slowly unravelling field in diagnostics, with diagnosis of common head and neck cancers, identification of environmental pollutants and degradation products of dental restorative material are promising thrust areas. The variations in collection methods, diurnal variations in salivary composition and minute quantities of diagnostic substances are challenges.
This presentation will focus on the technological advancements and explores the clinical application of saliva as a diagnostic fluid while focussing on the challenges and the prospects.