Salivary flow rate, buffering capacity, and yeast counts in 187 consecutive adult patients from Kuopio, Finland.

The aim of this study was to investigate salivary flow rate, buffering capacity, and yeast counts in all adult patients seeking dental treatment at the University Dental Clinic in Kuopio, Finland, during autumn 1992. Altogether, 187 consecutive patients over 20 yr old were included. Stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates were as follows: 1.8 +/- 0.9 ml/min; 0.6 +/- 0.4 ml/min in men, and 1.3 +/- 0.7 ml/min; 0.4 +/- 0.3 ml/min in women. A total of 103 patients used one or more systemic medications daily, mainly for cardiovascular disease (29.9%). The patients with medication had significantly lower flow rates than unmedicated subjects; in particular, in the older age group over 60 yr old. The medicated subjects also had significantly more often low buffering capacity values than the unmedicated ones (20% and 7%, respectively, with pH < 4 in the Dentobuff score). Positive yeast counts were observed in 66% of men and 55% of women, and more often in medicated than in unmedicated subjects (63% and 57%, respectively, NS). The results emphasize the need to take patients' sex and systemic medication into account in all salivary diagnoses.