The UCLA Newsroom states a new study led by UCLA researchers “provides clear evidence that cellular messengers in saliva may be able to regulate the growth of oral bacteria responsible for diseases, such as periodontitis and meningitis.” The article adds the study suggests that “a body’s cellular messengers play an important role in managing the amount of good and bad bacteria in the mouth.” The researchers believe the findings may lead to the development of new treatments for periodontitis and other diseases. “Our findings could lead to new therapies to treat diseases caused by harmful bacteria,” said study co-author Dr. Wenyuan Shi, chief executive officer and chief science officer at the Forsyth Institute and a former professor of oral biology at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Dentists providing salivary testing is a natural evolution for dental practices, but it has not been very well received yet, by dentists, patients, and third-party interests (aka dental insurance companies). This will be an area to embrace when this simple type of testing becomes readily available!