title: Use of graduated syringes for measuring salivary flow rate: a pilot study.
abstract: The evaluation of the salivary flow rate is important in several situations of dental practice. However, weighing the collected salivary volume it is not a practical method in public health services. This work evaluated the use of hypodermic graduated syringes as a simpler alternative method to measure the salivary flow rate. Saliva samples were obtained from 50 individuals (31 females and 19 males) aged 8 to 32 years (mean age: 12.4 years), recruited at the outpatient dental clinics of two public health centers. After collection, the saliva was weighed in a graduated scale and the results compared with the volume obtained through its measurement, in mL, in graduated hypodermic syringes. There was a positive and significant relationship between the two methods of measuring salivary flow rates as demonstrated by the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r = 0.996, with p<0.05). Measurement of the salivary flow rate using graduated syringes demonstrated to be a reliable method, with lower cost and more practical than the traditional method of salivary weighing.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Endocrinology Service, University Hospital Professor Edgard Santos, Medical School, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil. cresio.alves@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Crésio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andion
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menezes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation / Q000502:physiology; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000502:physiology; D013594:Syringes; D013997:Time Factors; D014894:Weights and Measures; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult