Mohammad Nadeem Baig¹ and Asaad Javaid Mirza²*

¹Assistant Professor, College of Dentistry, JUAF University, KSA ¹Dean Faculty of Dentistry, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author: Asaad Javaid Mirza, Dean Faculty of Dentistry, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Received: November 26, 2024; Published: December 10, 2024

Abstract

Saliva, a readily accessible bodily fluid, offers a non-invasive window into our health. It can be used to monitor various systemic conditions, from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, and even detect infections like COVID-19 and HIV. Recent advancements in sali vary liquid biopsies have shown promise in early cancer detection, particularly for oral and breast cancers.
Despite its potential, employing salivary diagnostics is overlooked in dental education. Dental curricula primarily focus on tra ditional methods like clinical exams and X-rays, neglecting the valuable insights that saliva can provide. This lack of training limits dentists' ability to assess oral health comprehensively.
Dental students are not adequately trained in modern caries management techniques. These techniques involve assessing saliva properties, such as flow rate, buffering capacity, pH, and bacterial levels, to identify and address risk factors for tooth decay. This lack of training leads to a continued reliance on traditional "drill and fill" methods, which often neglects a broader approach to oral health.

To address this, dental schools should integrate salivary diagnostics into their curriculum. This would equip future dentists with the skills to assess salivary parameters to determine the oral and general health status. Adopting this holistic approach, dentists can better understand the connection between oral health and general well-being, leading to improved patient care and preventive measures.

Keywords: Biomarker; Dental Curricula; Holistic Approach; salivary Diagnostics

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Citation

Citation: Mohammad Nadeem Baig and Asaad Javaid Mirza. “Integrating salivary Diagnostics: A Need for Dental Education Advancement". Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 9.1 (2025): 13-15.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Mohammad Nadeem Baig and Asaad Javaid Mirza. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.