Dr. Louis Mandel’s July JADA article, "An Unusual Pattern of Dental Damage With Salivary Gland Aplasia," provides an important service to the profession (
JADA 2006;137[7]:984–9
). It does so by documenting an interesting, albeit rare condition but, more importantly, in highlighting the role of saliva to oral health.
Dr. Mandel states that "there are only two other conditions [Sjögren’s syndrome and radiation caries] in which xerostomia" causes dental damage. I believe this to be untrue. Prescribed drugs can cause profound xerostomia. Even in relative xerostomia, I find increased caries and erosion. Whether this is related only to deficient saliva, or the behaviors associated with it, is difficult to say.
Columbia University College of Dentistry and Dr. Mandel are to be commended for establishing a salivary gland center. I am sure the new interest in the science of saliva will elucidate the role of saliva in dental health and have a major impact on medical diagnosis and medicine in general.
