Effects of Caffeine on Salivation
Introduction: Saliva has an important homeostatic role in the oral cavity. Hyposalivation can lead to diseases such as caries and mucous membrane candidiasis as well as difficulties in speech, mastication and deglutition. Like all exocrine secretions, salivary production is under the control of the autonomic nervous system, but physical factors such as hypovolemia and dehydration can also playa role . Thus, various systemic conditions, medications, and psychological factors can affect salivary output . Caffeine, a natural derivative of coffee beans and tea leaves, is a methylxanthine with proven activity on the central nervous system and the smooth muscle cells of the cardiac, respiratory and digestive organs. Its effects mostly parallel the adrenergic pathway and include increased arterial blood pressure and cardiac output, and decreased gastrointestinal muscle tone. Following this teleological path, it would be expected that caffeine had a significant, dose-dependent effect...