Assessment of the relationship between the physicochemical parameters of saliva, the type of nutrition, and the quality of drinking water

Drinking water and foods influence the physicochemical properties of oral fluid and the intensity of carious processes. Objective. To assess the impact of foods and drinking water on some physicochemical parameters of mixed saliva; to characterize the relationship between the properties of saliva and the intensity of dental caries. Material and methods. The investigation studied the following physicochemical properties of mixed saliva: salivation rate, pH value, buffering capacity, and surface tension. The relationship of these parameters with the type of nutrition, the quality of drinking water, and the sum of carious, filled, and removed (CFR) teeth index was analyzed in an examined individual. Results. Drinking water characteristics, such as pH and total mineralization, which meet the standards, were found to maintain salivary pH and buffering capacity within the physiological norm. Frequent snacking and the presence of sticky carbohydrates in the examinees’ diet were shown to cause a higher salivation rate and lower salivary surface tension. The studied salivary parameters were established to be in correlation with the CFR index. The highest CFR indices were determined in the people with low pH, low salivation rate, low acid buffering capacity, and high salivary surface tension. Conclusion. The quality of drinking water and foods determines the composition and properties of oral fluid. The physicochemical parameters of saliva influence the intensity of caries.