In an article published in the journal General Dentistry, Sebastian Z. Paige and Charles F. Streckfus, DDS, MA, report that the protein levels in saliva have great potential to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care of breast cancer. And general dentists are perfect candidates to assist with this diagnostic technique because they can easily remove saliva samples from a patient’s mouth during routine visits.

“Since a patient visits the dentist more frequently than their physician, it makes sense that this diagnostic tool could be very effective in the hands of the general dentist,” says Paula Jones, DDS, FAGD, the Vice-President of the Association of General Dentistry.

Salivary testing has some advantages over blood testing. The authors of the study argue that saliva is a clear, colorless liquid, while blood undergoes changes in color, which might affect test results. The authors also say that saliva collection is safe (no needle punctures), non-invasive, and can be collected without causing a patient any pain.

This method of early diagnosis is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it does receive approval, dentists and physicians could use it to collaboratively diagnose breast cancer.

But Jones also warns that this is not the only means for diagnosis. “It would not eliminate the need for regular mammogram screening or blood analysis; it would just be a first line of defense for women,” she says. “For example, if the salivary screening did show a positive result, a mammogram or other imaging test would be necessary to determine in which breast the cancer was located.”

SOURCES:
General Dentistry, March/April 2007
Academy of General Dentistry (http//www.agd.org)