Clinical MastersTM | issue 2020 | Contents To encourage an increase in the amount of saliva, it is important to drink plenty of water. Another effective suggestion is the use of xylitol chewing gum (sever- al times per day, for a maximum of 5 to 15 minutes each time) and the controlled eating of fruit, in particular kiwis, oranges and blueberries. These kinds of fruits help increase the quantity of saliva, but must be eaten in small quantities only because of their acidity, which can be dangerous for the enamel. Acidity (pH) The saliva sample collected with the pre- vious test can be used to measure the pH. It is possible to place a few drops of saliva on a special testing paper and compare the resulting color with a specific refer- ence color scale. Figure 4 shows the basic salivary test kit for measurement of pH, examination of the amount of stimulated saliva and buffer capacity. A pH of higher than 6.8 is considered normal and a pH of lower than 5.8 is con- sidered a high risk factor.1 A pH that is frequently below this level can promote, in addition to the increased risk of for- mation of carious lesions, the onset of enamel erosion and consequent exposure of dentin areas. Modern minimally inva- sive prosthetic restoration techniques allow us to exploit adhesion to the residu- al enamel to restore patients with erosion problems, avoiding losing further healthy tooth substance.9 But it is good to con- sider this aspect even after restoration, as a constant presence of acidity can result in problems of infiltration of the pros- thetic restoration. of this aspect is another important factor of the CAMBRA method.5 There are tests that, by analyzing saliva samples on specific paper, give us an idea of the buffer capacity in just a few min- utes and give us an indication of the spe- cific risk level of the patient so that we can put in place appropriate measures to change this important aspect and lower the risk of developing carious lesions. In the presence of risky pH values or a low buffer capacity, the patient will naturally have a greater risk of developing caries, owing to the prolonged acidity of the oral environment after meals.2, 8 When testing detects these problems, one or more of the following modification factors could be recommended to the patient: 1. Use toothpaste containing bicarbona- te. 2. Rinse with water, or with water and bicarbonate, at the end of a meal in order to counteract the acidity and improve the buffer capacity. 3. End the meal with a protective food, such as aged cheese. 4. Use buffer substances after meals. There are commercially available bi- carbonate and hyaluronic acid sprays able to improve the buffer capacity. For reliable results, it is important to per- form salivary tests at least 2 hours after the last meal and the last home oral hy- giene. It is also important that the patient has not taken antibiotics in the two weeks prior to testing. We also advise patients not to smoke, drink or use mouthwash in the previous 2 hours. Buffer capacity Buffer capacity is a measure of the ability to counteract a pH change brought about by the addition of a certain amount of a strong acid or a strong base. Owing to the presence of bicarbonates, saliva is a buff- er system that corrects the acidity of the oral cavity after food intake. If the buffer capacity of the saliva is good, the resis- tance of the oral environment to the for- mation of caries will be high. The analysis Conclusion In the fight against caries, the goal of cli- nicians must not be focused only on per- forming conservative or prosthetic res- torations, but must include the execution of specific protocols for controlling the causal factors of the disease, as well as educating the patient that, in order to ad- dress caries, it is not enough to eliminate carious lesions; rather, it is fundamental to change his or her lifestyle radically.1, 3, 5, 6 The CAMBRA method allows us to cus- tomize caries care, based on individual risk analysis, and to develop a suitable prevention plan for each patient, with the aim of avoiding the onset of new carious lesions and reducing the risk of marginal infiltration of conservative and prosthet- ic restorations. Saliva is one of the main controlling factors in patients at high risk of developing caries, and it is the dentist’s duty to recommend to the patient the most suitable strategies to improve saliva quality and its protective properties. 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