Complicated tests can make the process of diagnosing a health problem even more stressful for patients, but medical doctors may soon be borrowing some tools from their colleagues in dentistry to make diagnosing diseases easier and quicker.
According to the American Association for Dental Research the organisms inside your mouth can tell doctors a lot about your health. The proteins in saliva can reveal exactly what is happening in your body without invasive and complicated testing.
"Dentists would-be at the forefront of this technology and it will change the way people visit their dentists," Toronto dentist Kenneth Montague explained.
American scientists say saliva tests could be the norm when it comes to screening for diseases as soon as 2011. They've gone through the process of mapping the so-called alphabets present in saliva.
Maintaining good oral hygiene can help stave off some diseases, including
pancreatic cancer.
Here's a list of some other health problems associated with gum disease:
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease and stroke
- Pregnancy problems
- Diabetes
- Respiratory problems
(courtesy of the American Academy of Periodontology)
Here are some examples of how saliva is already used to detect particular health problems:
- detect exposure to lead;
- detect antibodies for HIV, measles, mumps, and rubella;
- diagnose viral hepatitis A, B, and C;
- monitor breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Sjögren's disease, and cystic fibrosis; and
- detect drug and alcohol abuse in law enforcement settings.
Courtesy of the American Association for Dental Research