People focusing their efforts on elucidating the research questions surrounding saliva and salivary glands need to be recognized beyond their present qualifications. This can be accomplished by creating a new all-encompassing field: ’sialology.’
Recent and rapid developments in our understanding of the importance and usefulness of different constituents of oral fluids raise two interesting questions: Is the study of saliva an area that deserves its own discipline? If so, who can or should claim stewardship of this particular body fluid?
Although a word for diagnosis based on examination of saliva already exists—"sialosemeiology"—a more all-encompassing term is needed. "Sialosemeiology" conveys too narrow a scope to define all the different benefits of saliva, as it fails to incorporate connotations of the different functions of saliva.
Dentists, physicians, biochemists and many other clinical and basic scientists have studied the functions of saliva in research tracing back hundreds of years. As oral health professionals, we are familiar with the anticariogenic, remineralization and antibacterial properties of saliva. Until just recently, dentistry seemed to have had a monopoly on saliva, with some overlap from health professionals dealing with procedures that resulted in decreased or total lack of salivary flow.
Oral dryness is a major concern for dentists because of its accompanying detrimental effect on teeth, periodontium and oral mucosa. However, other health care professionals also recognize and manage complications caused by a lack of saliva. Accompanying conditions include compromised nutritional status owing to the inability to chew and swallow, and the development of oral candidiasis brought on by a lack of salivary anticandidal components such as histatine. Many autoimmune diseases also are accompanied by decreased salivary flow. For some reason in modern times, however, our medical colleagues have largely ignored the study of saliva, leaving oral health professionals to carry the torch. Competence in the evaluation of the functions or diagnostic properties of saliva affect fields of expertise ranging from law enforcement, pharmacology, physiology, sports medicine and veterinary medicine to rheumatology, infectious diseases and oncology. The collection of body fluids, such as blood and urine, is taught in clinical courses in many different biomedical fields, including medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing and sometimes even dentistry. However, the collection of both stimulated and unstimulated saliva usually is performed only by trained oral health professionals.
From a research perspective, most efforts and extramural funding for salivary research has come from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. From a clinical standpoint, it is probable that oral health care professionals are more frequently in contact with saliva than are any other types of clinicians. However, with the diagnostic potential of saliva so elegantly illustrated in the cover stories1,2 and the guest editorial3 in this issue, it is unlikely that its use will remain chiefly in the realm of dentistry.
Looking at the various components of saliva—its physiological and immunological functions, its role in nonimmune defense mechanisms and its diagnostic potential—I propose that the discipline of "sialology" (derived from "sial(o)," from the Greek sialon, meaning "saliva," and "-ology," the combining form for a subject of study) be established. People focusing their efforts on elucidating the research questions surrounding saliva and salivary glands need to be recognized beyond their present qualifications, which may be as clinical or basic scientists. This can be accomplished by creating a new all-encompassing field.
There are several advantages to establishing a separate field of study for saliva. Conferences, associations and academies dealing specifically with this one topic will become more widespread. A common language and culture will develop, and it will be easier to identify experts. Collaborations among experts will become more viable. A younger generation of researchers will emerge. The topic will have its own courses in biomedical curricula, and a broadened research agenda will ensue.
Who will own saliva? The sialologists, whoever they may be.
