Can Saliva be the New Bio-fluid to Monitor Children's Oral Health?

Background: Salivary diagnosis is an emerging field; the potentially valuable biofluid contains many molecules of the systemic circulation. Still, its profile in health has been scarcely investigated. Aim: This study aimed to characterize the inflammatory profile of healthy children's saliva, and to associate the parameters with clinical diagnoses of caries and gingival inflammation. Study design: Unstimulated saliva was collected from 100 children who underwent clinical dental examinations. The saliva samples were analysed for total protein, specific cytokines (IL-10, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF- α) and bacteria using Bradford assay, ELISA and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Salivary values were analysed according to age, plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI).