Effect of Oral Contraceptive Pill on the Amount of Unstimulated Saliva in Females

Statement of Problem: Salivary glands secrete a liquid known as saliva which plays an important role in oral homeostasis. Quantitative and qualitative variation in salivary secretion can cause dental caries and periodontal disease. The decrease of saliva may be caused by some diseases and drugs such as sjogren syndrome, and antidepressant drugs. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral contraceptive pills on the volume of unstimulated saliva in healthy women. Materials and method: In this experimental study, 85 healthy females including 35 study cases and 50 controls with the mean age of 18-25 years, referred to Ahwaz dental school, were selected. The study group had been taking oral contraceptive pill for at least 6 months, but the control group had not been taking this kind of drugs.  Subjects with no past medical history, no use of medications, and no history of depression were selected as study subjects. The 2 minutes amount of collected saliva of the subjects in both groups was measured and recorded. The results were analyzed using T-test. Results: The mean age of the study and control group was 24.42 and 24.78 years, respectively. The mean unstimulated volume of the saliva in the study group was 1.11 ml / 2minute , while in the control group it was 1.53 ml / 2minute . There was a significant difference in the amount of salivary secretion between the two groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to this study, it can be concluded that, use of oral contraceptive pills can cause reduction in unstimulated salivary secretion. Therefore, good oral and dental hygiene instructions should be emphasized for these patients. Key words: Saliva, Oral contraceptive pill, Females