Appraisal of Saliva and Its Sensory Perception in Reproductive Transitions of Women: A Review

There are physical, hormonal, and psychological variations in women, which affect their health in general. This may influence the environment of oral cavity, specific to salivary stream rate, salivary pH, and buffering capacity. Saliva is a perplexing liquid containing an assortment of mucosal host protection factors from diverse salivary organs and crevicular liquid. Though saliva has been inspected with regard to several physiological and pathological conditions, the association of various properties of saliva with different phases of women's menstrual cycle remains unexplored. Because diet and salivary stream rate are correlated, food not only affects salivary flow but also has an impact on sensory perception. One of the most vital human senses, taste, is crucial in determining a person's dietary requirements, which in turn influences eating habits and, eventually, human nourishment. As a result, along with variations in salivary stream rate and pH, the capability to sense taste may also alter during the phases of pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause. Hence, this review article is designed to assess salivary stream rate, pH, and gustatory function in several phases of women's lives to determine the impact of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause on saliva as well as the reciprocal relationship between saliva and gustatory function.