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The oral component of Sjögren’s syndrome: Pass the scalpel and check the water

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Abstract

The labial salivary gland biopsy is a diagnostic test for the oral component of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) that has been the subject of controversy and re-examination for many years. Despite multiple recent challenges to the significance of this test, when correctly done, it remains one of the most informative, specific, and technically simple tests avail-able for the oral component of SS. Because of compro-mised salivary gland function, patients with SS are at risk for dental caries. Within the past decade, a paradigm shift has occurred within the field of caries research. The caries process was previously thought irreversible once initiated. Research has shown that the “early” carious lesion can be remineralized. Thus, the “early” carious lesion may be pre-vented and even repaired. The process of remineralization requires appropriate conditions to occur, and one of those conditions is pH. Because water is often the preferred wet-ting agent/beverage for patients with SS, the data show that, with regard to pH, not all waters are created equal.

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  1. Sjögren’s Syndrome Clinic, University of California at San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, 94143, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Ava J. Wu DDS

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Wu, A.J. The oral component of Sjögren’s syndrome: Pass the scalpel and check the water. Curr Rheumatol Rep 5, 304–310 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-003-0009-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-003-0009-5

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