Oral Fluids Flashcards
What is gingival crevicular fluid?
Fluid from the epithelium lining the gingival crevice.
What factors increase the flow of gingival crevicular fluid?
Inflammation- gingivitis, periodontitis
What are the main functions of oral fluids?
Protective- cleansing, mucosal protection, offering, remineralisation, antimicrobial
Digestive- taste, digestive enzymes, lubricates bolus for chewing and swallowing.
What factors affect unstimulated salivary gland flow rate?
State of hydration
Previous stimulation
Circadian rhythms
Circannual rhythms
Salivary gland disease
Describe the composition of saliva?
99.5% water
0.2% ions- bicarbonate, sodium
0.3% organic (mostly proteins)
What ions are found in saliva?
Fluoride
Calcium and phosphate
Thyocyanate
Bicarbonate, phosphates
Describe the functions of ions in saliva?
Fluoride- remineralisation, antibacterial, forms fluoroapatite
Calcium and phosphate- remineralisation
Thiocyanate- antibacterial
Bicarbonate, phosphates- buffering
What is the role of salivary buffers in the mouth?
They reduce the effect of acid in the mouth by increasing the pH.
What is Amylase?
Enzyme that hydrolyses 1-4alpha starch glycosidic links.
Can reduce the growth of certain bacteria.
Name some other oral proteins.
Amylase
Lysozyme
Lactoperoxidase
Cystatins
Austin
Histatins
Immunoglobulins
Lactoferrin
Lipase
Mucoproteins
Why are you likely to have more caries in upper teeth than lower teeth?
Salivary flow rate increases as you get to the more posterior part of the mouth.
Saliva comes mostly from the sublingual and submandibular glands, this flows backwards- less saliva in upper teeth.
Why is there more calculus present in lower lingual region?
Crowding may be present here.
Calcium phosphate from saliva contributes to mineralisation and saliva flow is high in this region- so plaque becomes mineralised to calculus more quickly.
Why do we recommend that someone chews chewing gum if they have a dry mouth?
The act of chewing stimulates salivary centres in the brain to produce saliva- brain thinks it is going to swallow something, so needs saliva to create the bolus of food.
Under sympathetic and parasympathetic control.
Describe the concept of the Stephan curve?
When we have a sugar challenge, plaque present within the mouth creates acid.
This reduces the pH within the mouth.
Peak pH is reached and then it gradually come back up- because of the saliva present in the mouth.
If the pH reaches the critical pH- this allows plaque to cause caries.
What are the oral health aspects of chewing gum?
Does not remove plaque but it does increase salivary flow rate.
Salivary pH is increased.
Stimulated saliva may promote remineralisation.
