Despite the availability of kinds of literature on etiological factors such as the effectiveness of prophylactic procedures and the processes of development of dental caries, the relationship between saliva and dental caries is not fully dissected. This is more poignant when critical questions behind the development of the disease and its links to saliva are examined. Saliva contains specific salivary components and secretions that are important for dental health.
The relationship between saliva and dental caries revolves around the understanding that the role of saliva goes beyond the lubrication of oral tissues. According to Lenander–Lumikari and Loimaranta (40), “human saliva not only lubricates the oral tissues, makes oral functions such as speaking, eating, and swallowing possible, but also protects teeth and oral mucosal surfaces in different ways.” The antibacterial and lubricating roles of saliva from one significant path through which saliva plays a deterrent role in the development of dental caries. In fact, the protective and antibacterial roles of saliva go beyond the above functions. “Recent studies have revealed a large number of functions mediated by both the inorganic and organic components of saliva should be considered in assessments of the effects of human saliva on dental caries” (Lenander–Lumikari and Loimaranta 40). It is discerned that saliva has an immense impact on dental caries. First, saliva performs the work of a mechanical cleansing agent and thus prevents the accumulation of plaque around teeth. Dental caries is a bacterially induced multifactorial disease and the bacteria causing organisms to thrive and multiply under the plaque. Reduced levels of saliva flow and movement around the teeth would offer a perfect environment for the growth of microbiological agents. Secondly, saliva plays a critical role in the reduction of solubility of enamel. As the hardest material existing in the body, enamel plays the critical role of protecting the inner layers of the teeth. Saliva contains fluoride, calcium, and phosphate pigments that not only reduce the chances of solubility of enamel but also enhance its capacity to protect the inner layers of teeth from microbiological agents.
Third, saliva plays a significant role in protecting the teeth by shielding them and neutralizing acids produced by microbiological agents. The presence of salivary proteins and acids such as statins and cystatins enables saliva to neutralize and stabilize the oral environment and thereby deter the development and multiplication of cariogenic organisms. It is within this perspective that saliva plays the role of a neutralizer and stabilizer of the oral environment. Furthermore, the presence of a highly negatively charged aminoterminal segment responsible for remineralization enhances the capacity of saliva to inhibit the growth of microbiological organisms responsible for the release of cariogenic compounds.
Fourth, the relationship between saliva and dental caries revolves around its antibacterial activities. According to Lenander–Lumikari and Loimaranta (43), “the main oral innate defense factors are the peroxidase systems, lysozyme, lactoferrin, and statins which are responsible for limiting bacterial or fungal growth, interfering with bacterial glucose uptake or glucose metabolism and promoting aggregation, thus, eliminating bacteria.” These proteins play defensive roles in the elimination of H2O2, which is a highly toxic compound in the systems of human beings, and serve as a catalyst in the growth and development of cariogenic organisms. It is seen that the relationship between saliva and dental caries revolves around the roles of saliva as a lubricating, antibacterial, cleansing, and neutralizing agent of the oral environment.
Works Cited
Lenander–Lumikari, Marraine and Loimaranta Vuokko. Saliva and Dental Caries. Adv Dent Res 14.3 (2000): 40-47.