ABSTRACT
A quantification method for measuring whole saliva is described. This whole saliva test (WST) consists of a Whatman paper strip, is easily carried out, innocuous, low-cost and single use. Due to its characteristics, it could be considered as the oral equivalent of Schirmer's tear test. A sample of 159 healthy subjects (81 males and 78 females; mean age 31.62 years) participated in this comparative study of this new procedure and two other tests, the draining and the swab test. Correlation was statistically positive among the three types of tests.
Subject(s)
Saliva/metabolism , Salivation/physiology , Specimen Handling/methods , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Humans , Linear Models , Male , Middle Aged , Secretory Rate , Specimen Handling/instrumentationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the resting whole saliva secretion rate in relation to age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of 1493 healthy subjects between 5 and 88 years of age (691 men and 802 women). A new objective procedure for whole saliva quantification, the Whole Saliva Test (WST), was used. RESULTS: Resting whole saliva was found to decrease with age (Pearson's coefficient: r = 0.273; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Resting whole saliva decreases with age.