title: In defense of the oral cavity: the protective role of the salivary secretions.
abstract: Saliva performs important protective roles in the oral cavity. Debate in the 1970s over the "specific" or "non-specific" action of salivary components has given way to current attempts to identify the full complement of all proteins in saliva that are now considered to act in concert. At the same time, more fundamental protective qualities of saliva water and pH control are receiving less attention. These qualities may be among saliva's most important. This presentation will review recent advances in the genomics and proteomics of saliva, as well as saliva's roles in tissue coating, alimentation, and regulation of the oral flora.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA. tabakl@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tabak
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002021:Buffers; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008153:Lubrication; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D040901:Proteomics; D012212:Rheology; D012463:Saliva / Q000502:physiology*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002021:Buffers; D020011:Protective Agents; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides