This book covers current knowledge of the origins of various salivary compounds, their normal values, age dependency, relation to flow rate, diseases or hormonal status, and assay problems regarding human saliva. It discusses practical aspects of salivary analyses.

This book covers the current knowledge of salivary compounds, their normal values, age dependency, diseases or hormonal status and assay problems, and is helpful for scientists and clinicians with the relevant information needed in planning, performing, and interpreting saliva analyses.

Salivary Diagnostics surveys one of the most exciting areas of research in oral biology. Regarded as the mirror of the body, saliva has immense potential to yield real clinical improvements in our ability to diagnose, and hence treat, oral and systemic conditions. The composition of saliva and other oral fluids reflects the tissue fluid levels of therapeutic, hormonal, and immunological molecules, as well as the presence of markers for systemic and oral disease.

This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the emerging field of interdisciplinary salivary bioscience. It serves as a foundational reference guide to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of salivary data, as well as its myriad applications in medicine, surveillance and public health. The ease and non-invasive nature of saliva collection makes it highly useful in diverse fields such as pediatrics, dentistry, neuroscience, psychology, animal welfare and precision medicine. This book introduces students and scientists alike to the vast potential of salivary bioscience in both research and practice.

Saliva as a unique sample for health assessment is gaining attention among researchers of different fields in the last 20 years; being reflected in an impressive increase in the number of papers published studying saliva from different biological aspects in human and veterinary species. Once deemed merely a digestive juice is now considered a biological fluid capable of communicating information about physiopathological processes occurring in organisms, since saliva has been shown to contain molecular and bacterial compounds that can change in response to local and systemic pathologies. Furthermore, the interest of saliva as a diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring biofluid is forced by its non-invasive nature being of easy and inexpensive sampling, involving only minimal discomfort and allowing the collection of multiple/repeated specimens at anytime, anywhere and without need for specialized staff. In this contributed volume, the authors bring together, summarize and reflect the generated knowledge about saliva as a source of biomarkers for health and welfare evaluation in humans and animal models. This volume also highlights the importance of confounding factors, such as sampling methods, flow, total protein content, contamination, or storage. This book will serve as a manual for graduates, practitioners and researchers by providing general ideas about the possibilities and utilities of saliva in clinical practice or investigation, and indicating the main cautions each should have in mind before saliva usage.

The body in dreams, myths, legends, and anecdotes of the fantastic as expressions of human corporeality. In The Body Fantastic, Frank Gonzalez-Crussi looks at the human body through the lens of dreams, myths, legends, and anecdotes of the bizarre, exploring the close connection of the fictitious and the fabulous to our conception of the body. He chronicles, among other curious cases, the man who ate everything (including boiled hedgehogs and mice on toast), the therapeutic powers of saliva, hair that burst into flames, and an "amphibian man" who lived under water. Drawing on clinical records, popular lore, and art, history, and literature, Gonzalez-Crussi considers the body in both real and imaginary dimensions. Myths and stories, Gonzalez-Crussi reminds us, are the symbolic expression of our aspirations and emotions. These fantastic tales of bodies come from the deepest regions of the human psyche. Ancient Greeks, for example, believed that the uterus wandered around inside a woman's body--an "animal within an animal." If a woman sniffed an unpleasant odor, the uterus would retreat. Organized "digestive excess" began with the eating and drinking contests of antiquity and continue through the hot-dog eating competitions of today. And the "libido-podalic association," connecting male sexuality and the foot, insinuated itself into mainstream medicine in the sixteenth century; meanwhile, the feet of women in some cultures were scrupulously kept from view. Gonzalez-Crussi shows that the many imaginary representations of the body are very much a part of our corporeality.

"Spit uncovers the secrets secreting in the many mouths on the globe. From humans to cows to vampire bats to spitting spiders, this book looks at spit from many different angles to provide readers with the fascinating world found in this gross-out subject."--

An Illustrated Guide to Oral Histology Learn more about the histological presentation of diseased and normal oral tissues with this high definition illustrated dental reference An Illustrated Guide to Oral Histology delivers a collection of high-definition histological and pathological images, presenting both diseased and normal oral tissues. The book provides over 200 high-magnification histomicrographs of oral tissues, as well as definitions and explanations of key identifying histological and pathological features of oral tissues. Readers will also benefit from explanations of the clinical significance of particular features, numerous images of ground sections, haemotoxylin- and eosin-stained sections, and electron images. It also includes core topics such as: An introduction to tooth development, including the bud, cap, early bell, and late bell stages A thorough exploration of enamel, dentin, cementum and dental pulp A discussion of the periodontal ligament, including alveolar crest fibers, horizontal, oblique, apical, and inter-radicular fibers, transseptal fibers, and gingival fibers A guide to alveolar bone, oral mucosa, and salivary glands Perfect for postgraduate dental students, An Illustrated Guide to Oral Histology will also be useful to undergraduate dental students, and those looking to improve their understanding of the microscopic structure of dental tissues and their pathologies.

Health professionals are more and more aware of the importance of saliva for oral health and well-being. As saliva secretion is steadily compromised with advancing age, it becomes a factor of concern in societies with an aging population, especially with a growing number of people who keep their own teeth. The numerous functions of saliva, like antimicrobial activity, lubrication, wound healing and its role in taste experience are only truly recognized when saliva secretion is hampered. In medical diagnostics, saliva shows its value as a safe and economical alternative to blood. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in salivary research by some of the world’s leading experts in the field. Chapters deal with various aspects: anatomy and physiology, e.g. regeneration of salivary glands, saliva functions, e.g. its protective and rheological properties, and diagnostics and disorders, e.g. xerostomia and hypersalivation. This book is not only recommended to basic scientists working in the field of oral biology, but also to dental students, dentists and health professionals who want to know more about one of the most underestimated bodily fluids.