Study of Salivary Matrix to Estimate Ovulation
Introduction - The phenomenon of ovulation is a crucial phenomenon in evolution. Many modalities todetect the same have been developed and time tested. Each of them have their advantages and linked withsome shortcomings. This article unravels one more physical property of saliva which is characteristic duringthe menstrual cycle.Aim - To study the salivary matrix in women during the course of menstrual cycle.Materials and method- Early morning salivary smear was obtained from the subjects. They were madeto spit and spread the drop of saliva on slide and fix it using the alcohol spray. Each slide was labeled andassessed under the microscope with 10X magnification. The slides labeled were assessed for ferning on firstday of the menstruation cycle till the beginning of next menstruation cycle.Result - The salivary smear showed varied patterns in salivary matrix during the entire course of menstrualcycle.Conclusion - Ferning assessment is basically a qualitative test of saliva which will be evident aroundovulation. This test can be used to plan pregnancy. It cannot be used to prevent pregnancy. An appropriatereagent or kit needs to be developed in order to identify this unique phenomenon.