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.

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.

Oral Physiology contains the proceedings of the Wenner-Gren Center International Symposium held in Stockholm, Sweden in August 1971. Contributors explore common problems and trends in oral physiology, from the regulation of salivary glands and the role of electrolytes in the formation of saliva to neural mechanisms underlying salivary excretion, the effect of citric acid on parotid flow, and secretion of salivary glycoproteins. Circulation of the tongue, monitoring of oral circulation, physiology of mastication, and development of fetal gustatory receptors are also covered. This volume consists of 27 chapters and begins with a discussion of mechanisms underlying control of different types of effector cells that comprise the salivary gland. The reader is methodically introduced to the nerves to the parotid gland, electrolyte and water transport in salivary glands, neural mechanisms controlling the excretion of saliva, and how the function of salivary fibers is affected by different conditions situated along the course of the seventh and ninth cranial nerves. The next chapters focus on the effect of citric acid on the variance of the parotid flow rate, ductal transport processes and glandular effects of neurotransmitters and pharmacological agents, and neuro-effector sites in salivary glands. The book concludes by presenting experimental evidence indicating that nerve impulses can be recorded from dentine. This book will be useful for researchers and teachers not only of oral physiology, but also of odontology and medicine in general.

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.