Salivary Flow in Pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: Saliva is an extremely specialised biofluid surrounding the oral cavity. Its functions preserve and maintain the health of the oral environment by permitting protection of oral tissues, remineralisation of the teeth and aiding alimentation whilst acting as a diagnostic marker. Objectives: The main objective is to analyse and review the salivary parameters flow rate and pH in pregnancy. Materials & Methods: For this literature review online articles, books, publications and journals were accessed. All of which are available on electronic data bases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline and Google Scholar. Results and Discussion: The salivary flow rate and pH are generally lower in pregnant women opposed to non-pregnant women. Contrarily, some research displays an increase or almost no difference in flow rate during pregnancy. A significant association between composition of saliva and other physiological changes in the body have a direct impact on these. The changes in flow rate can be attributed to a surge in Oestrogen and Progesterone. Modifications also arise due to a decrease in bicarbonate and calcium ions. In turn there is an increase in phosphate ions and α amylase concentration. Conclusion: Differences are observed in the salivary parameters of flow rate and pH throughout pregnancy. These modifications along with alterations in composition of saliva contribute to the creation of an optimal environment for the development of oral pathological conditions such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. The ongoing assessment of salivary flow and pH throughout pregnancy is important for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of certain oral manifestations. However, more studies need to be conducted to achieve concordant and further representative results.