Saliva is essential for oral health and influences all events in the mouth. A deficiency of saliva can have devastating consequences. Therefore, it is important to have a book about the basic tissue mechanisms involved in the secretion of saliva, based on an holistic approach. With such an aim in mind, this book contains chapters covering the histological basis for secretion, electrophysiological events, electrolyte and water secretion, protein synthesis and secretion, bloodflow, capillary dynamics, myoepithelial activity, glandular permeability, hormonal influences, including the effects of diabetes, and the synthesis and secretion of IgA in man. The chapters have been written by international experts in the field, who present balanced accounts of their subjects. The secretory mechanisms described in this book have a far-reaching impact beyond the salivary field and have applicability to all forms of exocrine secretion. Salivary glands offer many advantages for experimental study of these phenomena since they can be tested more precisely than most other glands, having ducts that can readily be cannulated for assessing the secretion. As a single-source of up-to-date data, this book will benefit doctors and dentists, and anyone interested in secretory phenomena, including physiologists, biochemists and cell biologists. It not only brings together all available data on this subject, as it stands at the turn of the century, but also lays down a sound platform of knowledge on which further investigations can be based.

Health professionals are more and more aware of the importance of saliva for oral health and well-being. As saliva secretion is steadily compromised with advancing age, it becomes a factor of concern in societies with an aging population, especially with a growing number of people who keep their own teeth. The numerous functions of saliva, like antimicrobial activity, lubrication, wound healing and its role in taste experience are only truly recognized when saliva secretion is hampered. In medical diagnostics, saliva shows its value as a safe and economical alternative to blood. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in salivary research by some of the world’s leading experts in the field. Chapters deal with various aspects: anatomy and physiology, e.g. regeneration of salivary glands, saliva functions, e.g. its protective and rheological properties, and diagnostics and disorders, e.g. xerostomia and hypersalivation. This book is not only recommended to basic scientists working in the field of oral biology, but also to dental students, dentists and health professionals who want to know more about one of the most underestimated bodily fluids.

Saliva is essential for oral health and influences all events in the mouth. In 1850 Ludwig discovered that autonomic nerve impulses evoke salivary secretion and all work since has shown that the nerves normally control the flow and protein output of saliva. This publication, written by international experts, is the first one devoted to the neuroglandular mechanisms of this control. The book lays a sound platform of knowledge to all with an interest in and around the mouth including dentists, doctors, pharmacologists, biochemists and cell biologists as well as neurobiologists working on autonomic nerve activities.

This book reviews the progress made in salivary diagnostics during the past two decades and identifies the likely direction of future endeavors. After an introductory section describing the histological and anatomical features of the salivary glands and salivary function, salivary collection devices and diagnostic platforms are reviewed. The field of “salivaomics” is then considered in detail, covering, for example, proteomics, the peptidome, DNA and RNA analysis, biomarkers, and methods for biomarker discovery. Salivary diagnostics for oral and systemic diseases are thoroughly discussed, and the role of salivary gland tissue engineering for future diagnostics is explored. The book closes by considering legal issues and barriers to salivary diagnostic development. Advances in Salivary Diagnostics will be an informative and stimulating reference for both practitioners and students.

This book provides detailed information on the prevalence and manifestations of the most important oral complications associated with different drug treatments, focusing especially on recently developed therapies. Among the diverse adverse drug reactions covered are gingival overgrowth, ulcerations, lichenoid reactions, pigmentation, and bullous reactions. The potential direct toxic effects on bone of drugs that prevent bone mass loss, such as bisphosphonates and denosumab, are fully examined, as is the occurrence of spontaneous oral bleeding in patients receiving antithrombotic therapies. Further chapters focus on drug-induced taste disorders and salivary gland disturbances, including xerostomia, swelling, and hypersalivation. The enhanced risk of oral infections when using chemotherapy and biotherapy is addressed, and the closing chapter examines drug-related perioral and facial complications. This book is a collaborative work that brings together clinicians, surgeons, and specialists in drug safety surveillance. It will be of value for all dental and medical practitioners who encounter these complications in their clinical practice.

This book has been designed to help medical students succeed with their histology classes, while using less time on studying the curriculum. The book can both be used on its own or as a supplement to the classical full-curriculum textbooks normally used by the students for their histology classes. Covering the same curriculum as the classical textbooks, from basic tissue histology to the histology of specific organs, this book is formatted and organized in a much simpler and intuitive way. Almost all text is formatted in bullets or put into structured tables. This makes it quick and easy to digest, helping the student get a good overview of the curriculum. It is easy to locate specific information in the text, such as the size of cellular structures etc. Additionally, each chapter includes simplified illustrations of various histological features. The aim of the book is to be used to quickly brush up on the curriculum, e.g. before a class or an exam. Additionally, the book includes guides to distinguish between the different histological tissues and organs that can be presented to students microscopically, e.g. during a histology spot test. This guide lists the specific characteristics of the different histological specimens and also describes how to distinguish a specimen from other similar specimens. For each histological specimen, a simplified drawing and a photomicrograph of the specimen, is presented to help the student recognize the important characteristics in the microscope. Lastly, the book contains multiple “memo boxes” in which parts of the curriculum are presented as easy-to-remember mnemonics.

Saliva is a complex fluid that maintains oral health and has many physiological functions. It is a noninvasive diagnostic fluid as well. Lately, salivary diagnostics has proven its potential to reach clinical practice in the near future for the early detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of various diseases. Salivary Glands - New Approaches in Diagnostics and Treatment is a comprehensive reference, which brings together information on salivary secretion and its disorders, the novel salivary diagnostic methods for numerous diseases, and new techniques in the treatment of salivary diseases. This book contains information for a diverse audience, including dentists, oral biologists, experimental biologists, molecular biologists, oncologists, radiologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and otorhinolaryngologists.