Saliva Flashcards
what is dry mouth called?
xerostomia
what are the effects of having a lack of saliva?
- rampant caries
- no buffering
- no control of caries
- oral thrush (candida infection)
what are the main causes of xerostomia?
- disease of the salivary glands
- medications
- cancer therapies
what diseases can cause xerostonia?
- Sjogrens syndrome (autoimmune disease causing parotid and submandibular gland dysfunction)
- undiagnosed diabetes
- neurological sialotrophic infections (eg HIV and Hep C)
how can can cancer therapies cause xerostonia?
- radiation can damage cells, Serous acinar cells are the most sensitive.
- chemo can change flow rate + composition. Immunosuppression affects salivary immunoglobulin content.
How can saliva be stimulated/replaced topically?
- sugar-free gum/sweets.
- artificial salivary substitutes
- water-based gels
How can saliva be stimulated/replaced systemically?
-medications (cholinergic agonists providing parasympathetic stimulation)
what components does saliva have that gives it antimicrobial factors?
- Lysozymes
- Immunoglobulins
- Lactoferrin
- Complement Factors
what components does saliva have that enables it to protect soft tissues?
- growth factors
- lactoperoxidase
what components does saliva have that enables it to protect hard tissues?
- buffers
- fluoride ions
- pellicle proteins
- other antibacterial factors
- pH rise factors (Sialin)
- Calcium
- phosphate
what is saliva derived from?
- major glands
- minor glands
- crevicular fluid exudate
the contribution of saliva for each is source is dependent on what different factors?
- time of day
- age
- health status
- medication
- flow rate
which gland contributes the most saliva?
submandibular
what happens to flow rate at night?
decreases
why does saliva clear the lower teeth more than upper teeth?
due to submandibular gland ducts positioning.
what are buffers?
molecules that resist (slow down) pH changes.
what needs to bind to an acid in saliva to prevent a pH change creating a weak acid?
conjugate base.
why can buffering only work to an extent?
becuase there is only so many ions available in saliva that can bind to the acid.
within how much pH units and buffering work of the pKa number?
1 - buffering can only work to within 1pH unit o the pKa value of the buffering agent.
what does the midpoint describe when looking at buffers?
equal amounts of buffer and conjuent base - this is the best place.
how many times can phosphoric acid (H3PO4) be buffered and how many midpoints will there be?
3 times due to having 3 protons that can be dissociated.
3 midpoints
How many times can actate acid (CH3COOH) be buffered and how many midpoints will there be?
Once due to only having the one proton available .
one midpoint.
what would a higher acid buffer component that conjugate base component mean for saliva?
more effective buffering added bases.
what would a higher conjugate base component that acid buffer component mean for saliva?
more effective at buffering added acids.
how can pH of a buffer be worked out?
using Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.
what is the ideal pH for animals?
7.4pH
why is acidosis more of a threat to animal life compared to alkalosis?
because we produce more acids through metabolic processes.
what is different about histidine?
only amino acid with a pKa value close to physiological pH - so only amino acid with buffering potential.
How does buffering maintain tooth structures?
- prevents dissolution of the tooth surfaces.
why are buffers needed to protect hard tissues?
- enamel is composed of HAP so will start to dissolve when acid is in the mouth to created an equilibrium with its constituent ions in saliva.
what are the buffering systems in saliva?
- bicarbonate
- phosphate
- proteins
what enzyme does saliva contain that catalyses the uptake of the protons to bicarbonate which increases the efficiency of the buffering system?
carbonic anhydrase
what is the produce after bicarbonate has buffered an acid?
- water
- co2 (which is removed into the atmosphere)
why is saliva stimulated due to mastication and chemicalstimulation of taste buds?
to increase flow rate - creating a washing action, moving fermentable food and acidic food/drink away quickly.
what is plaque acid?
bacterial fermenting dietry carbs.
does pH increase or decrease with flow rate?
increase.
what happens to bicarbonate concentration with an increase in flow rate?
increases.
what components of saliva maintains oral hygiene?
- lysozymes
- peroxidase
what components of saliva maintains mineralisation of teeth?
- Calcium
- pH rise factors
preventing xerostomia
what components of saliva maintains lubrication?
- mucin
what components of saliva aids in digestive functioning?
- amylase
- lipase
what cells enable control of how much saliva is flowing at once and how?
myopeitherial cells as they contain smooth muscle.
compared to plasma does saliva have a higher concentration of potassium (K) and bicarbonate (HCO3)?
Yes
compared to plasma does saliva have a higher concentration of sodium (Na+) and Chlorine (Cl-) ?
No
what is primary secretion of saliva?
- secretion into the acini
- contains amylase, mucous, electrolytes.
- isotonic
what is secondary secretion of saliva?
- striated ducts
- Na + Cl reabsorbed from duct
- K + HCO3 secreted
- hypertonic
- no movement of water.