Review of Oral Saliva Measurement Standard Methods

Background and Aim: At present, there are various methods for performing diagnostic tests. Due to the fact that saliva is easily available compared to other body fluids, it can be collected from patients in a non-invasive way and there is no risk of cross-infection because of it, so its use has become more common. Also, the analysis of substances in saliva can be a reflection of a person's oral and systemic conditions. Despite its advantages as a diagnostic fluid, the lack of sufficient information about the methods of collecting and storing samples prevents the repeated use of saliva. In this article, it has been tried to collect the most standard methods of saliva collection, required conditions and supplies, and how to maintain, and provide them to users. Material and Methods: In this review article, data were collected by searching articles which were published between year 2000 and 2020 in domestic and foreign journals, using databases such as: PubMed, PubMed Central, Medline, EBSCO, Google Scholar and Embase with keywords: Saliva, Dry Mouth, Xerostomia, Salivary Determination and Saliva Estimation. Among the relevant authorities, the articles that were cited many times and were more up-to-date, were selected. Conclusion: It seems like using saliva in modern diagnostic tests, makes the diagnosis of many diseases easier, faster and more accurate. The standard methods of saliva collection in this article can be used as a guide for laboratory-clinical researchs by researchers.