Detection of Dental Caries Using Salivary Biomarkers – A Systematic Review

Background: Saliva is a mixture of organic and inorganic components that comes in constant contact with the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity. One of the most frequent disorders is dental caries, which is a multifactorial microbial disease of the tooth. Of which saliva plays a significant role in the process of dental caries.

Aim: To systematically identify and evaluate the ability of salivary biomarkers in detection of dental caries.

Methods: A comprehensive search was done using electronic data bases such as PubMed Central, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Google Scholar and direct web search. The title scan was used to find relevant articles, which were then read and appraised for inclusion. This review analyses all research that investigated the use of salivary protein biomarkers to detect dental caries.

Results: Electronic database search identified 16 articles. After evaluating the title, abstract, and full text of these articles, only 4 were selected for the present systematic review. A final of 4 studies were included based on the inclusion criteria to meet the research question. All the studies analyzed the salivary biomarkers in dental caries detection.

Conclusion: Salivary biomarkers are a significant indicator in detection of dental caries and can be used in determining the further treatment planning.