Salivary Diagnostics: What Can Your Saliva Reveal?
Posted on February 27th, 2020
If you’ve tuned in to any crime scene investigation shows, you’ve probably heard of salivary testing, but did you know it’s becoming increasingly common in dental offices? Salivary testing has a bright future in medicine because of how much it can tell us about your state of health—both oral and overall.
One of the reasons it’s especially important in the dental office is because we screen for oral cancer, and the number one culprit for diagnoses in recent years is human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be detected through saliva.
Should I have my saliva tested?
In a word, yes! Frankly, there are many conditions that can lie latent and manifest themselves in dangerous ways (such as heart disease and stroke, which both have links to gum disease), but if you have your saliva assessed, you can take steps toward decreasing your risk.
The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.