Effect of hypertension on salivary flow rate and pH

The aim of this studywas to determine the relationship between pH and viscosity of cumulative unstimulated saliva and hypertension in adults with normal, stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension. The patient’s blood pressure was measured and patients fitting the inclusion criteria were selected for the study. Their unstimulated cumulative saliva was collected by spitting method and pH of the samples was measured by pH strip. The flow rate of the samples was measured by comparing the amount of saliva displacement in sterile polypropylene centrifuge tube with control fluids at mm/10 seconds. The data was analysed by SPSS version 20 software and ANOVA tests and their nonparametric equivalent (p≤ 0.005). The results of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between pH and viscosity of unstimulated saliva of normotensive and borderline hypertensive patients with p value <0.000. Therefore, hypertension had a direct and significant relationship with saliva flow rate and saliva pH. Hypertension can reduce the pH and increase the salivary viscosity in hypertensive patients, which subsequently lead to changes in quality and quantity of secreted saliva and influence the oral health and quality of the patient’s life.