title: Relationship between unstimulated salivary flow rate and saliva composition of healthy children in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Saliva is one of the most important factors in regulating oral health, with flow rate and composition changing throughout development and during disease. In view of the shortage of data, the present study aimed to shed light on the relationship between unstimulated salivary flow rate and saliva composition of healthy children in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four normal, healthy children from 3-14 years of age were divided into three age groups: pre-school, elementary school and junior-high school. All participants received salivary flow rate, pH and saliva composition analysis under unstimulated conditions. One-way ANOVA and Pearson's correlation were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results suggest that, under unstimulated conditions, the salivary flow rate of the elementary school group was greater than that of the pre-school group (p < 0.05). No difference in pH was found among the three groups. Intergroup salivary calcium, phosphorus and amylase did not reach statistical difference. As the flow rate increased, the pH increased (r = 0.364, p < 0.05) but the protein level decreased (r = -0.473, p < 0.05). In addition, salivary protein was positively correlated to age (r = 0.479, p < 0.05) and negatively correlated to pH (r = -0.361, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age-related increase in the unstimulated salivary flow rate of pre-school and elementary school groups was noted. As the flow rate increased, the pH increased but the protein level decreased. The information obtained may serve as reference values for the growing interest in saliva as a diagnostic tool, especially monitoring those with neurological or oral motor dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Katie P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jyh-Yuh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Chia-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Chia-Ling
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tsong-Long
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Ming-Yen
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Alice M K
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ching-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yu-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D012212:Rheology; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D013624:Taiwan