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CC BY 4.0 · European Journal of General Dentistry
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1814077
Review Article

Saliva as a Diagnostic Biopsy Fluid: A Review

Authors

  • Mario Alberto Alarcón-Sánchez 

    1   Molecular Biology in Medicine Program, University Center of Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara (CUCS-UdeG), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
    2   Institute of Research in Dentistry, Department of Integral Dental Clinics, University Center of Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara (CUCS-UdeG), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

  • Sarah Monserrat Lomelí-Martínez 

    3   Department of Medical and Life Sciences, La Ciénega University Center, University of Guadalajara (CUCIENEGA-UdeG), Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico

  • Muhammad Adeel Mudasser

    4   Department of Orthodontics, Dr. Ishrat UI Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

  • Lilibeth-Stephania Escoto-Vasquez 

    5   Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Postgraduate Division, Dental School, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Julieta Sarai Becerra-Ruiz 

    6   Department of Clinics, Los Altos University Center, University of Guadalajara (CUALTOS-UdeG), Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco, Mexico

  • Rolando Rivera-Solano

    7   South Pacific Dental Institute, Chilpancingo de los Bravo 39022, Guerrero, Mexico

  • Zohaib Khurshid 

    8   Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Implantology, College of Dentistry, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
    9   Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Dentistry, Center of Excellence for Regenerative Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

  • Artak Heboyan 

    10   Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
    11   Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, Str. Koryun 2, Yerevan, Armenia

Funding No external funding was received.
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Abstract

Saliva is a biofluid secreted mainly by the major and minor salivary glands, which contains a wide variety of biomolecules with diagnostic value. Its molecular abundance, noninvasive collection, molecular richness, and link to systemic conditions have established it as an attractive tool compared with blood or tissue biopsies. The present narrative review aims to integrate up-to-date knowledge about the biology of the salivary glands, the mechanisms of secretion, and the molecular constitution of this biofluid; at the same time, it analyzes its role in oral and systemic health. It highlights advances in salivaomics and its diagnostic role in oral, systemic, metabolic, oncological, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative pathologies. Additionally, it analyzes the impact of prosthetic biomaterials on both salivary composition and the expression of inflammatory markers. Finally, it recognizes the challenges related to biological variability, the need for standardization and validation of biomarkers, highlighting the potential of integrating multi-omic platforms and artificial intelligence to promote a promising path for diagnostic precision in dentistry and medicine.

Keywords

saliva biomarkers - salivary diagnostics - prosthetic biomaterials - oral disease - salivaomics

Availability of Data and Materials

The data supporting this study's findings are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.


Authors' Contribution

M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., L.S.E.-V., J.S.B.-R., and A.H.: conceptualization; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., L.S.E.-V., and A.H.: methodology; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., L.S.E.-V., and A.H.: software; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., M.A.-M., L.S.E.-V., J.S.B.-R., R.R.-S., Z.K., and A.H.: validation; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., L.S.E.-V., M.A.-M., J.S.B.-R., Z.K., and A.H.: formal analysis; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., L.S.E.-V., and A.H.: investigation; M.A.A.-S. and A.H.: resources; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., M.A.-M., L.S.E.-V., J.S.B.-R., R.R.-S., and A.H.: writing—original draft preparation; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., M.A.-M., L.S.E.-V., Z.K., and A.H.: writing—review and editing; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., M.A.-M., L.S.E.-V., R.R.-S., and A.H.: visualization; M.A.A.-S., S.M.L.-M., M.A.-M., L.S.E.-V., J.S.B.-R., R.R.-S., Z.K., and A.H.: supervision; M.A.A.-S. and A.H.: project administration. All the authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.




Publication History

Article published online:
02 December 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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