Tests

Saliva Testing: Good practice, good sense!

Saliva is nature's miracle in the mouth: saliva plays a vital role in dental heath as patients strive to maintain a healthy dentition throughout their lives.

When saliva stops protecting the teeth it is not unusual to see recurrent caries (decay), accelerated tooth wear, dental erosion, and Candida albicans (thrush) infection. Saliva testing provides baseline information that helps the dentist determine the ability of the saliva to protect the teeth from mineral loss.

Saliva Testing Procedure

Step 1. Visual examination - hydration
The minor glands of the lower lip are examined and the time taken for droplets of saliva to be produced from these glands is timed. This is a measure of hydration.

Step 2. Visual examination - viscosity
The dentist will visually assess the resting viscosity of the saliva. Healthy unstimulated saliva is clear in colour and watery in consistency. If it looks string, frothy or bubbly, or is very sticky then it may mean the content of water is low because the rate of production is low.

Step 3. Test the pH of the saliva.
A sample of saliva is collected in a cup and the pH is tested.
This tells us whether you have acidic or alkaline saliva. A low pH indicates the environment of the mouth is much more acidic than normal.

The result of this test can influence what types of treatments will be recommended.

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Caries Test and Treatment Rinse

This is a new way to prevent cavities before they start.

A simple test can determine your risk of developing decay.

The quick and easy CariScreen test determines your level of decay-causing bacteria. It only takes one minute to determine if you are low, moderate or high risk of developing cavities in the future.

For the most accurate test results we advise you do not eat or brush your teeth for a least one hour prior to the test.

Filling cavities restores the teeth but does nothing to address the problem - the bacterial infection. A simple at home pro-active treatment program using the Cari Stat Mouth Rinse will significantly reduce the harmful bacteria in your biofilm.

Once the biofilm has reached a healthy state the Cari Stat Maintenance Rinse is used to create an environment that prevents the harmful bacteria from returning and promotes the beneficial ones.

*Remember to recommend all family members do the rinse - science tells us that the harmful bacteria can be passed within the household so it is important that all family members are tested and treatment.

                                                         
How is the test done?

This bacterial test is quick and painless. A swap is taken from your teeth, which when combined with special bioluminescence reagents within the swab, will create a reaction which is then measured with a special meter.

The meter will give a score between 0 and 9,999. A score under 1,500 is considering relatively healthy, while above that shows considerable risk for decay.

This technology not only allows us to measure the patient's risk for decay, but also helps measure their progress as they follow the recommended protocols for reducing risk.

 To find out more about the Carifree system see www.carifree.com