Abstract
Saliva is an important body fluid in the oral cavity containing lots of biomarkers, whose inherent micro-ecosystem holds significant value for early diagnosis and monitoring of oral diseases. Simultaneously, saliva has particular advantages, such as ease of sampling, painless and non-invasive collection, and suitability for repeated sampling, making it highly appropriate for surveillance and follow-up of diseases. In a series of studies conducted by the research group for preventive dentistry in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, we compared different segments of saliva and those samples collected via different sampling methods using proteomic/peptidomic and microbiomic technologies to explore the stability of saliva samples. Besides, the significance of applying representative salivary biomarkers in early prevention and control of representative oral diseases (e.g. dental caries, periodontal diseases) and systemic conditions (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease) was confirmed as well.