Saliva as a Diagnostic Tool

Saliva is now recognized as a powerful diagnostic fluid that can reveal molecular markers for oral health as well as systemic, infectious, autoimmune, and malignant diseases. Advances in molecular pathology and omics technologies have turned saliva into a "liquid biopsy" that reflects the overall physiological and pathological conditions of the body.The secretions of the major salivary glands-the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands-as well as the smaller salivary glands-the buccal, lingual, and palate glands-combine to form saliva, a clear, complex, and slightly acidic biological fluid. Human salivary glands typically make 1 to 1.5 liters of serous and mucinous saliva per day. This multicomponent whole saliva is created by combining water, salts, and a variety of chemicals from the blood and salivary protein in the mouth cavity.One of the primary benefits of using saliva as a diagnostic tool is that sample collection is simple and non-invasive, which significantly reduces the discomfort and privacy concerns associated with collecting blood and urine. When compared to serum or urine, saliva has significant advantages in terms of collection, storage and shipping.